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BMW solves hydrogen packaging puzzle to build FCEV and EV iX5 together

Tue, 9 Jun 2026 07:00:00 +0100

'Flat storage' system doesn't intrude into cabin space and enables iX5 to be built on same line

BMW has moved its fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) development on another step with the new ‘BMW Hydrogen Flat Storage’ system – a new method of storing compressed hydrogen on board vehicles.

This new approach overcomes a major barrier because it’s modular and fits into the same space in the iX5 as the ‘Gen6’ high-voltage EV battery. There’s no intrusion into cabin space as there might be with more conventional tanks and, crucially, it allows iX5 Hydrogen models to be built on the same production line as other powertrain types.

The production X5 now supports five types of powertrain – petrol, diesel, BEV, plug-in hybrid and now FCEV – in what BMW calls a “technology-open approach”. All powertrain variants will share BMW’s new ‘Heart of Joy’ centralised control unit, combining drivetrain, braking and driving dynamics into one system.

BMW says the iX5 FCEV’s electric motor is exactly the same as the BEV version’s. But rather than one large battery, a hydrogen fuel cell stack generates electricity drawing on hydrogen stored in on-board tanks.

A small high-voltage lithium ion buffer battery provides the bursts of energy for acceleration and stores energy during regenerative braking.

The new Hydrogen Flat Storage system holds enough compressed hydrogen at a pressure of 700 bar to give the iX5 a range of 385 miles. Early prototypes were equipped with a pair of tanks storing 6kg of hydrogen for a range of 313 miles.

Being able to produce a fuel cell car on an existing platform where a compressed gas fuel storage system fits in the same space as an EV sibling’s battery is significant for making an FCEV viable to build and sell.

Given the X5 architecture can support five different drive system variants, it should be possible to scale manufacturing to match demand rather than relying on bespoke manufacturing, which is how FCEVs have been made in the past. That should be a good fit with what is still a limited worldwide hydrogen refuelling infrastructure.

The Hydrogen Flat Storage system consists of seven slim tanks replacing the larger twin tanks of the early cars. Each one is a ‘Type 4’ design, which means it’s constructed from carbonfibre-reinforced composite wrapped around a polymer liner.

The tanks are connected in parallel, hold a total of 7kg of hydrogen and can be refilled at a hydrogen pump in under five minutes. The seven tanks are integrated into a metal frame and controlled by a single, main, central control valve rather than operating separately.

It forms part of the overall fuel cell powertrain, at the heart of which is the latest ‘Gen3’ fuel cell system developed with FCEV veteran Toyota. BMW says the pilot fleet of 100 iX5 Hydrogen prototypes was successfully tested worldwide and in 2028 will become its first hydrogen-powered model to enter series production.

Supervan successor could go ICE: Ford drops all-EV focus for wild Demonstrator machines

Tue, 9 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0100

Firm has developed a string of electric demonstrators in recent years but will now pivot back to ICE

Ford Racing will continue to develop a line of high-performance 'Demonstrators' that are intended to push technology – but will broaden them out beyond EVs.

The firm has developed a string of electric Demonstrators in recent years, including the Supervan 4.2, an F-150 Lightning Supertruck and a Mustang Cobra Jet 2200.

The vehicles have competed in the Pikes Peak hillclimb, appeared at events such as the Goodwood Festival of Speed and been used as testbeds to develop Ford’s high-performance EV powertrains.

Speaking exclusively to Autocar, Ford Racing boss Mark Rushbook said that the decision to build the range of electric Demonstrators rather than compete in a category such as Formula E was “because we did not feel existing electric series were right for us".

He continued: "That's not a knock on those series, but we wanted the ability to truly learn with a free canvas, and a series like Formula E does restrict you. With the Demonstrators we can do whatever we want, whether it’s a Transit or an F-150, a Mustang Mach-E or even a Mustang coupé.

"We can do what we want and we can learn what we need to about the motor, battery cell technology, the controls, the calibration, aero and so on.”

But with Ford adjusting its future plans to put more of an emphasis on hybrid and combustion powertrains, Rushbrook said its Demonstrators would shift from a pure EV focus.

“We’ll continue to do Demonstrators, but we’re not going to restrict ourselves to full electric,” he explained. “We still have a lot of electric cars in our future, but we also have a lot of hybrids coming, and we also have a lot of combustion vehicles coming. So we’ll do more demonstrators, but you will see more powertrain technology in them, not just full-electric.”

Rushbrook highlighted hybrids as one key area in which Ford was keen to push development. The firm is building experience through its Formula 1 power-unit partnership with Red Bull, and Rushbrook added: “We’re learning a tonne about hybrid powertrains in F1, but there’s more that we can learn.”

The best electric cars 2026 – driven, rated and ranked

Tue, 9 Jun 2026 00:01:00 +0100

These are the best EVs on sale in the UK today in our view – each with its own trump card

Electric cars have come a long way in such a short period that there's now no doubting their credentials as genuine, do-it-all transport.

Only a few years ago, EVs fell way short of the mark, with high price tags, limited real-world ranges and lacklustre charging speeds discouraging drivers from making the switch.

Market trends now tell a very different story, with electric cars now accounting for more than a quarter of all new car registrations in the UK.

Advancements in battery technology, public charging infrastructure and driving dynamics have changed the EV landscape, while falling production costs have democratised what used to be an expensive car class.

Factor in their lower running costs and the UK government’s Electric Car Grant (ECG) and modern-day EVs make a strong case for themselves as the go-to choice for families and fleets.

The pool of choice is now bigger than ever, but which electric car should you actually buy? From long-legged family SUVs to performance derivatives that offer sports car-like thrills, we’ve put together a list of the best electric cars on sale today.

We think the Skoda Elroq is the best electric car you can buy right now. Few compact SUVs can match its clever blend of versatility, range, maturity and sheer value for money. Plus several derivatives qualify for the band-two ECG, which means you can save up to £1500.

At a glance

Make and Model	Best For	Starting Price	Official Range (WLTP)	Autocar Tested Range	Autocar Rating
1. Skoda Elroq	Versatility and value	£33,970	Up to 372 miles	370 miles	4.5/5
2. BMW iX3	Range and charging speed	£60,655	Up to 500 miles	435 miles	4.5/5
3. Hyundai Ioniq 5 N	Sports car thrills	£65,800	Up to 278 miles	230 miles	5/5
4. Renault 5	Stylish and affordable motoring	£21,495	Up to 248 miles	260 miles	4.5/5
5. Porsche Taycan	Handling and performance	£88,200	Up to 421 miles	360 miles	4.5/5

Every winner of the Engine of the Year award

Mon, 8 Jun 2026 13:35:06 +0100

From a frugal 1.0-litre to a mighty 3.9-litre V8, here’s a list of the overall winners of the International Engine of the Year trophy

Start your engines.

In 2021, Autocar picked 50 of our favourite road-going engines, including the Ford small-block V8, Lotus twin-cam and Porsche air-cooled flat-six. In truth, we could have selected twice as many, but we had to draw the line somewhere. Here, we’re looking at the best engines of the past two decades, according to the judges of the annual International Engine of the Year awards. Let’s take a look:

Toyota 1.0-litre (1999)

Toyota’s ‘Mighty Atom’ 1.0-litre unit reigned supreme at the inaugural International Engine of the Year awards, winning the overall prize and the ‘Sub 1.0-litre’ category. The 998cc, 67bhp Yaris engine was praised for its 50mpg fuel economy and performance. One judge said it ‘performs like a far larger engine but is incredibly efficient.’ A 1.3-litre version of the engine arrived in October 1999.

Honda 1.0-litre IMA (2000)

The Honda Insight 1.0-litre IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) hybrid engine finished ahead of Ferrari’s 5.5-litre V12, Alfa Romeo’s 2.5-litre V6, and BMW’s 3.0-litre six-cylinder and 4.0-litre V8 diesels to grab victory in 2000. One of the judges, our very own Steve Cropley, called it “an elegant solution that ordinary people can afford.” With a light right foot, the 995cc three-cylinder engine could deliver up to 100mpg.

BMW 3.2-litre straight-six (2001)

Japan’s stranglehold of the top International Engine of the Year award was broken (for now) by Germany, with BMW’s brilliant 3.2-litre straight-six unit taking the honours. Very much at home in the E46 M3, the engine developed 343bhp at 7900rpm and 296lb ft of torque at 4900rpm, with a top speed limited to 155mph. We said: “The grunty rumble from the quad exhausts at idle gives way to a serrated wail as the straight-six climbs to its redline.’

BMW 4.4-litre V8 (2002)

BMW secured another victory in 2002, this time for its N62 4.4-litre V8. The all-aluminium, normally aspirated, 90-degree V8 featured many technological advances, including the Valvetronic variable valve lift system. Applications included BMW’s 745i, X5 4.4i Sport, 545i and 645Ci (pictured) models. Commenting on its use in the X5 4.4i Sport, Andrew Frankel said the engine offered “compelling performance”. The N62 4.4 was developed into a 4.8 and made its way into the Wiesmann GT and Morgan Aero 8.

Mazda 1.3-litre Renesis (2003)

In our Mazda RX-8 used car guide, we said the rotary engine will be “expensive to maintain, even if it’s in good nick, and its impressive ability to get through a tank of petrol is secondary only to its unquenchable thirst for oil”. Without the benefit of a crystal ball, the judges praised Mazda for, ‘its sheer bravery in pursuing the Wankel format and making it work’, calling it, ‘smooth and strong, clean and compact.’

Toyota 1.5-litre (2004)

The International Engine of the Year award stayed in Japan, with the hybrid system used in the Toyota Prius winning the overall title and three different categories. In December 2004, the Prius was named 2005 European Car of the Year at the Autocar Awards, securing the most comprehensive win since the first-generation Ford Focus waltzed to a mammoth 172-point victory over the Vauxhall Astra in 1999. Of the 58 jury members, 37 gave the Prius top spot.

BMW 5.0-litre V10 (2005)

BMW has won 62 overall and category trophies since the first International Engine of the Year awards in 1999, with victory in 2005 kickstarting four years of dominance. The F1-inspired 5.0-litre V10 is one of the greatest engines of all time, developing 394bhp in ‘normal’ mode, or 500bhp when you press the ‘M’ button. This was the last BMW M5 to be powered by a normally aspirated engine, and a way to go out in riotous, characterful style.

BMW 5.0-litre V10 (2006)

The 5.0-litre V10 was good enough to grab another title in 2006. We said: “The V10 just chews through gears and the 8200rpm limiter seems very pessimistic. Mechanical refinement is superb and that’s the key to the car’s everyday potential. Despite the claimed 4.7sec 0-62mph run, the faintly ridiculous 15sec 0-124mph time, and the fact that were it not limited to 155mph it would stroll on to 205mph, this car is entirely docile and has a chassis better suited to exploiting that breadth of ability than its predecessor.”

BMW 3.0-litre Twin Turbo (2007)

This was a good year for BMW, with its 3.0-litre twin-turbo crowned overall winner, along with category awards for its 2.5-litre straight-six (Best New Engine) and 5.0-litre V10 (Best Performance). Reviewing the engine in the BMW 335i, we said: “Most of the time [it’s] really quite exceptional. If you didn’t know, it would be all but impossible to tell that the engine was turbocharged.”

BMW 3.0-litre Twin Turbo (2008)

Another good year for BMW, with the 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-six grabbing top spot for the second consecutive year. There were also category wins for BMW’s 4.0-litre V8 (3.0-litre to 4.0-litre), 5.0-litre V10 (above 4.0-litre), 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel (Best New Engine) and the BMW-PSA 1.6-litre engine (1.4-litre to 1.8-litre). At the time, the German-French unit was used in the Mini Cooper S and Clubman, and Peugeot 207 and 308.

Volkswagen 1.4-litre TSI (2009)

BMW’s dominance ends with Volkswagen’s 1.4-litre TSI taking the honours at the 2009 International Engine of the Year awards. As well as overall victory, the supercharged and turbocharged engine was named Best Green Engine and Best Engine in the 1.0-litre to 1.4-litre category. The photo shows Dr Ruediger Szengel, head of petrol engine development at Volkswagen Group, receiving the award.

Volkswagen 1.4-litre TSI (2010)

Volkswagen’s twin-charger unit won again in 2010. The use of a supercharger and a turbocharger avoids the usual peaks and troughs in power delivery to give the engine the feel of a powerful normally aspirated engine. At the time, the unit was used to power the likes of the Seat Ibiza FR and Cupra, VW Polo GTI and Skoda Fabia vRS. Fiat’s 1.4-litre MultiAir was named New Engine of the Year.

Fiat 875cc TwinAir (2011)

Fiat’s 0.9-litre TwinAir engine was a deserved winner at the 2011 International Engine of the Year awards. The all-new, vertical-turbo twin-cylinder engine produced a strong 84bhp and 107lb ft of torque from as little as 1900rpm to deliver lively performance accompanied by a burbling soundtrack. There was one problem: fuel economy. Fiat claimed an optimistic 70mpg, but a lot of owners struggled to achieve half that.

Ford 1.0-litre EcoBoost (2012)

‘No one has ever built a three-cylinder engine quite like this. It’s one of the most technically advanced and efficient engines we’ve ever designed,’ Joe Bakaj, Ford’s global powertrain engineering chief said in 2012. ‘The new engine introduces many new technologies that could be part of the DNA of future Ford engines.’ The B-Max was the first car to get Ford’s smallest ever engine.

Ford 1.0-litre EcoBoost (2013)

Ford’s EcoBoost engine won again in 2013. The 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, which was designed and engineered in the UK, achieved the highest score in the history of the International Engine of the Year awards. At the time, Ford said it was set to double production of the engine to keep up with demand. We called it a “game-changer” as it showed how much life remains in the petrol engine.

Ford 1.0-litre EcoBoost (2014)

Ford won again in 2014, with Dean Slavnich, co-chairman of the International Engine of the Year awards, saying: ‘The 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine is one of the finest examples of powertrain engineering.’ Years later, Ford was giving full refunds to thousands of customers affected by sudden failures of the EcoBoost engines. This followed a BBC investigation, which found that hundreds of engines had overheated.

BMW 1.5-litre three-cylinder (2015)

BMW was back on the scene in 2015, when its TwinPower Turbo three-cylinder was named overall winner at the annual awards. The 1.5-litre three-cylinder hybrid unit was also named Best New Engine and a class winner in the 1.4-litre to 1.8-litre category. There were also class wins for Mercedes-AMG, Tesla, Ferrari and McLaren, while Ford’s EcoBoost won the 1.0-litre category.

Ferrari 3.9-litre V8 (2016)

Get ready for a Ferrari lock-in, with 2016 marking the first of four consecutive victories for its 3.9-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine. There were four wins, including awards for Performance Engine, New Engine, the 3.0-litre to 4.0-litre category, and the overall prize. Graham Johnson, co-chairman of the awards, said: ‘It’s a giant leap forward for turbocharged engines in terms of efficiency, performance and flexibility.’

Ferrari 3.9-litre V8 (2017)

‘It truly is the best engine in production today and will forever be remembered as one of the all-time greats,’ Johnson continued. We praised the engine for having no detectable lag and a rev-hungry nature – a trait normally reserved for normally aspirated units. The engine produces 661bhp yet could manage an official combined fuel efficiency figure of 24.8mpg.

Ferrari 3.9-litre V8 (2018)

An engine such as this deserves greater detail. The F154 CB in the 488 GTB is a 3.9-litre V8 with a 90deg bank angle, flat-plane crankshaft, oversquare cylinder design and two IHI twin-scroll turbochargers, one for each cylinder bank. It produces 661bhp from 6200rpm to 8000rpm, with up to 561lb ft at as little as 3000rpm. The 0-60mph time is polished off in 3.0sec dead, with 150mph blitzed in just 13.3sec.

Ferrari 3.9-litre V8 (2019)

We said: “Ferrari’s greater achievement is to make the 488 GTB the finest turbocharged engine in production. Several manufacturers have moved from natural aspiration to turbocharging recently, but among them, the 488’s engine is remarkable for how little lag there is and how convincingly speed builds towards the top end, as it rattles into the 8000rpm limiter, when it feels like it’s barely out of the mid-range.”

New Vauxhall Astra confirmed by 2030 with less "traditional" shape

Mon, 8 Jun 2026 13:20:07 +0100

Next Astra will be built in Germany on new platform; could become a crossover but will keep estate

The Vauxhall Astra will be reinvented for a new generation by the end of the decade, morphing into a less "traditional" shape as it aims to maintain market share in the face of soaring SUV demand.

Vauxhall-Opel has confirmed the new Astra is one of "at least" four new models it will launch by 2030, alongside the next-generation Corsa, a new SUV co-developed with Leapmotor and an as-yet-unnamed new car that is expected to replace the current Mokka.

To be built at Opel's base in Russelsheim, Germany, the new Astra will move onto parent company Stellantis's new STLA One modular architecture - which offers the flexibility for electric and hybrid drivetrains and will underpin the majority of upcoming Stellantis cars in Europe.

Vauxhall hasn't given a precise launch date, but the facelifted version of the current Astra is just arriving in showrooms now, suggesting its replacement is at least three years away.

Speaking to UK media following the announcement of the new Astra, Opel-Vauxhall CEO Florian Huettl hinted at a dramatic reinvention for the firm's longest-running model line, to meet changing customer demands in Europe's crucial C-segment - most pertinently the increased popularity of SUVs.

"Whenever we look at what the next generation of a well-established car such as the Astra should be, looking at the evolution of the segment is a big deal of our work," he said.

"The hatchback segment continues to decrease. We see a lot of flow to other segments, namely the SUV bodystyles. Sometimes as smaller cars get more mature and provide more performance, people move down; and then also people move up, for example, as family life evolves."

Huettl's allusions to the increasing popularity of mid-sized SUVs – Europe's most popular type of car – gives a strong indication that Vauxhall could transform the Astra into more of a crossover than a conventional hatchback for its next generation - just as Ford is set to do for the replacement for the Astra's main historic rival, the Focus, in the coming years.

Indeed, he added that the Astra name "doesn't mean necessarily that it's a traditional hatchback", alluding to a body shape that could straddle multiple segments in a bid to maximise its appeal.

However, he did confirm that whatever form it ends up taking, the next-generation Astra will continue to offer an estate (or 'Sports Tourer') body option, because it remains "hugely popular" in Opel's native German market.

"What I can tell you for sure is that there will be a station wagon, because that's what our home market requires, and this is what we will serve," said Huettl.

He said the new car "will certainly be a BEV", but STLA One can accommodate various types of hybrid drivetrain - which Huettl suggested could mean the next Astra follows the current car in offering a range of different fuel types.

"STLA One isn't limited to BEV only in its capabilities, so we're currently looking at the right calibration of powertrain offer," he said.

"The market is highly dynamic: the electric market this year is really going through the roof, and we see a lot of demand coming depending on certain stimulus measures, but also we feel that with the current global situation people seem to value a bit more the independence [that comes with] fossil sources of energy."

Huettl said that no final decision had been reached on specific types of powertrain: "We don't have to make it yet. We'll make it in due time."

Stellantis has confirmed that STLA One will be equipped with LFP battery technology and 800V charging hardware, which means the next Astra EV is likely to offer a far greater range than the current one, which uses an adapted version of the CMP combustion car platform.

Vauxhall had previously been planning to resurrect the long-defunct Manta badge for a segment-straddling crossover flagship offering a choice of powertrains but put the project on ice in light of uncertainties in the car market.

Based on the revealed details, the new Astra would seem to neatly fill the gap left by that cancellation, but Huettl emphasised that it's a separate programme rather than a rebranding.

"The new Astra will be a new Astra," he said. "It will deliver the values and the product proprieties that our customers look for, which means a high level of practicality, loading space, long-distance driving comfort and all of that."

"There's absolutely no link" to the Manta programme, he added, and that model is "not something that today is part of our development process".

Instead, Opel-Vauxhall is well advanced on the next-generation electric Corsa, which will share the STLA One platform with the larger Astra and is likely to be sold alongside an updated version of today's hybrid Corsa; and a new mid-sized SUV based on a platform supplied by Stellantis's Chinese joint venture partner Leapmotor, due in 2028.

Revealed: New Peugeot e-208 GTi is now ready for showrooms

Mon, 8 Jun 2026 13:00:00 +0100

Electric hot hatch – which reprises famous GTi badge – goes from concept to production with very few changes

Peugeot has revealed the new e-208 GTi in production form, ahead of its public debut at the Le Mans 24 Hours later this week.

The electric hot hatch was unwrapped in concept form at La Sarthe last year, but this is the finished product - ready for showrooms in the coming months with a design that Peugeot says "is incredibly close" to the original show car.

The first new Peugeot GTi model since the hot 308 retired in 2021 is also its most powerful yet, with its single front-mounted electric motor producing 278bhp and 254lb ft of torque for a 0-62mph time of 5.7sec - slightly quicker than its Alpine A290 rival.

Technically, it's a close relation to the Abarth 600e, Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica Veloce and upcoming Vauxhall Corsa GSE, which means it also gets a mechanical limited-slip differential to increase its agility in the bends.

Beyond the hefty power increase of 124bhp over the standard e-208, the GTi also gains bespoke hydraulic bump stops, a rear anti-roll bar and a unique steering tune that's said to boost responsiveness.

It also rides 30mm lower and has significantly widened tracks – by 27mm at the rear and 56mm at the front – for improved poise and stance.

As previewed by the concept, the visual makeover extends to a prominent rear spoiler and diffuser, a beefier front lip and striking 18in alloy wheels with a design inspired by the distinctive 'pepperpots' of its hallowed 205 GTi forefather.

Further details will be revealed on Friday 12 June as Peugeot marks the 100th anniversary of its first Le Mans race by taking to the circuit in three GTis - painted red, white and blue to celebrate the brand's French heritage.

UK sales of the new hot hatch will begin towards the end of the year.

The standard e-208 tops out at around £28,000, so we expect the e-208 GTi to reach the mid-£30,000s, which would line it up neatly against the A290.

Why the Skoda Superb Estate is the best estate car you can buy

Mon, 8 Jun 2026 12:30:00 +0100

The Skoda Superb has reclaimed its crown as What Car?’s Estate Car of the Year. Here’s why it’s so hard to beat...

There’s a particular kind of satisfaction that comes from a car doing exactly what it says on the tin – superbly. The Škoda Superb Estate has been doing precisely that for years, delivering class-leading space, a refined and comfortable ride and tremendous value, and the the judges at our sister title What Car? clearly haven’t tired of saying so.

At the 2026 What Car? Awards, the Superb Estate reclaimed its title as Best Estate Car, beating rivals that cost significantly more and proving, in the process, that the estate car is very much alive and well.

At 4.9 metres long – a full 10cm more than even Škoda’s largest SUV, the Kodiaq – the Superb Estate is a genuinely big car. But as What Car?’s judges were at pains to point out, none of that length is wasted. So, what exactly makes it the best estate you can buy right now? Here are the four big reasons.

Test drive the award-winning Škoda Superb Estate

Unrivalled interior space

Start with the thing that defines the Superb Estate above all else: its extraordinary sense of interior space. “There can be few families whose needs it wouldn’t satisfy,” What Car? said, and after spending time with the car it’s easy to see why that verdict is so difficult to argue with.

The interior, the judges declared, is “absolutely immense” – and it earns that description in every direction. Front passengers are treated to lots of steering wheel and seat adjustment, making it easy for drivers of all shapes and sizes to find a comfortable position. Rear passengers fare equally well: there’s enough head and leg room “to ensure that a family of four six-footers can travel together in comfort,” What Car? said, and those in the back are “positively indulged,” with a fold-down centre armrest, twin cupholders and even a portrait-orientated smartphone holder for watching media on the move. Even across three abreast, the cabin’s generous width means nobody feels short-changed on space.

Then there’s the boot – and this is where the Superb Estate really separates itself from the competition. Its 690-litre luggage bay is not merely the biggest boot of any estate car currently on sale in the UK; it eclipses those of a good many family SUVs as well. The BMW 5 Series Touring, the Mercedes E-Class Estate, most of the premium-badge class that charges considerably more – none of them can match it. Only the Volkswagen Passat Estate comes close to that figure, which is perhaps unsurprising given how closely the two cars are related underneath. The boot is low-lipped and usefully square in shape, making it as practical and easy to load as it is vast.

The plug-in hybrid version’s 510-litre boot is somewhat smaller – by result of the large battery pack beneath the floor – but even that comfortably bests the rival Mercedes E-Class Estate’s 460-litre bay, and the main cargo area retains its deep, square shape. Fold the 60/40-split rear seats and the Superb Estate’s load space expands into something that becomes genuinely difficult to fill, even on the most ambitious family trip. Škoda’s ‘Smart, Spacious and Stylish’ ethos runs through the rest of the cabin, too – from generous door bins and a cooled glovebox to the umbrella stowed in the driver’s door and the ice scraper built into the fuel filler cap. These are the details you stop noticing after a while, because they quietly become part of how the car makes your day a little easier.

A very comfortable ride

Space means nothing if you arrive at your destination feeling tired and tense. Thankfully, the Superb Estate has long been regarded as one of the finest long-distance cruisers in its class, and the latest generation builds convincingly on that reputation. What Car?’s judges were particularly struck by how well it handles the kind of journey it’s most likely to be asked to do. “The Superb is anything but uncouth, particularly on the long motorway trips that are its stock in trade,” they concluded, “and it’s a tidy handler. In fact, you’ll be taking bends with confidence, such are its poise and reserves of grip.”

On the motorway, where the Superb Estate is most at home, it settles into a relaxed, unflustered rhythm that makes big distances feel smaller. Wind noise is well contained, and the suspension absorbs the worst of Britain’s varied road surfaces with admirable composure. The standard DSG automatic gearbox – fitted across the entire range – keeps everything smooth and unhurried, changing up through the gears with barely a ripple. The steering, meanwhile, is light and easy in town, making the Superb a pleasingly simple car to manoeuvre in tighter spaces, before building weight naturally at speed to provide the confidence and precision that faster roads and sweeping motorway curves demand.

Optional DCC adaptive suspension – available from SE L trim upwards – allows you to soften or firm the ride at the touch of a button, and it’s a worthwhile addition for buyers who regularly carry a full complement of passengers and luggage over longer distances. That said, even without it, the standard suspension is very well judged. Will Nightingale, What Car?’s Reviews Editor, was unambiguous after putting extensive real-world miles on the entry-level car: “It’s a tidy, reassuring handler, and none of the engines feel short on power. I covered a lot of miles in the entry-level 1.5-litre petrol-powered car, and I reckon it’s all most people will ever want or need.”

A range of engines to suit all needs

One of the Superb Estate’s considerable strengths is the breadth of its engine lineup. Whether you’re a high-mileage private buyer, a company car driver looking to minimise BIK tax, or a regular caravan tower in need of low-down grunt, there’s a powertrain in the range that makes sense for you – and every version comes with a DSG automatic gearbox as standard.

What Car?’s recommended choice for most private buyers is the 1.5 TSI e-TEC 150: a 148bhp mild-hybrid petrol that strikes a genuinely well-rounded balance between performance, refinement and efficiency. It’s far from sluggish – What Car?’s judges confirmed that 0-62mph takes 9.2 seconds, which is more than adequate for confident motorway merging or swift A-road progress – and its mild-hybrid assistance makes a meaningful difference at the pumps, with creditable official fuel economy of 52.2mpg possible. The engine is smooth and reasonably quiet in everyday use, and because of the electrical assistance it rarely feels stretched even when the car is fully loaded with passengers and luggage. It’s easy to understand why What Car? calls it the pick of the range.

For buyers who regularly cover higher mileages or tow, the diesel options make an equally compelling case. The 148bhp 2.0 TDI 150 pulls strongly and consistently from low revs, making it better suited than the petrol for overtaking on dual carriageways and managing heavy loads without working hard. The more muscular 190bhp 2.0 TDI 193 adds standard four-wheel drive and is the natural choice for anyone who regularly hitches a loaded trailer or caravan. Notably, the previous-generation Superb Estate was, by What Car?’s own assessment, the most fuel-efficient load-lugger it had ever put through its real-world efficiency test – and the new model’s improved aerodynamics can only help push those numbers further.

Then there’s the PHEV. The Superb Estate iV delivers an impressive pure-electric range of up to 84 miles – a figure that puts many rivals firmly in the shade and makes short commutes and city driving genuinely emissions-free – and its 6% benefit-in-kind tax rate makes it a highly attractive proposition for company car drivers. The battery does reduce the boot to 510 litres compared to the mild hybrid’s 690, but as noted above, that’s still a genuinely large space by the standards of any class, let alone this one.

Well-equipped and priced to impress

Perhaps the single most compelling part of the Superb Estate’s story is how much car you get for your money. It significantly undercuts the BMW 5 Series Touring and Mercedes E-Class Estate on price, yet rarely leaves you with the sense that you’ve compromised in any meaningful way to get there. As What Car? put it in their awards write-up: “the Superb Estate undercuts the equivalent Passat on price, and it’s an awful lot cheaper than the 3 Series Touring. That leaves you with more money in the bank for, you know, family stuff.”

That value is most evident when you look at the standard equipment list on the winning SE L trim. It arrives with faux leather seats, 18in alloy wheels, 14-way electric front seats, ambient lighting, matrix LED headlights and a hands-free powered tailgate – a list that many premium competitors would consider a paid-options catalogue. Add to that a large digital driver’s display, a touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and Škoda’s roster of ‘Smart, Spacious and Stylish’ convenience features, and the Superb SE L feels considerably more expensive than it actually is.

Safety is comprehensively addressed, too. The Superb Estate earned a full five-star Euro NCAP rating in 2024, matching the closely related Volkswagen Passat’s test scores, and comes with traffic-sign recognition, lane-keeping assistance, automatic emergency braking and a full complement of airbags fitted as standard across the range. Running costs are equally sensible: the 1.5 TSI mild hybrid’s official 56.5mpg figure is impressive for a car of this size and practicality, the diesel returns are even stronger for high mileage drivers, and PHEV buyers will benefit from low BIK contributions and the ability to cover daily driving entirely on electric power.

Put it all together and the Superb Estate’s case becomes almost irresistible. The boot is the biggest in the class, the interior is immense, the ride is composed and refined, the engine range is varied and efficient, and the standard equipment punches well above its price point. Which is, of course, precisely why What Car?’s judges keep arriving at the same conclusion year after year. Maybe it’s time you did too.

Test drive the award-winning Škoda Superb Estate

If Porsche's GT boss likes virtual gearshifts, you can too

Mon, 8 Jun 2026 08:00:00 +0100

After years of dismissing synthetic gearshifts as "gimmicks," Porsche has been won over by the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N

This week my brain dredged up Dr Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham.

In it the unnamed narrator insists to Sam-I-am that the titular dish disgusts him, only to eventually try it and, sure enough, love it. For green eggs and ham substitute an electric car with synthetic gearchanges, and for our presumptuous unnamed narrator Porsche.

The rise of the virtual gearbox: Why EV sports cars are faking it

Executives at the German company have for years insisted that 'ugh, it isn't in our DNA to do something so revoltingly pretend; Porsche will never stoop to such a gimmick' - or words to that effect. Meanwhile, the rest of us have been quietly won over by the e-Shift in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.

Then we found out that Andreas Preuninger had recently had a go in Hyundai's 641bhp EV. Preuninger is the man who has over 25 years sculpted Porsche's GT division in his own image. The screechiest, lightest, most salivatory Porsches of the modern era are his babies, and his takeaway from the 5 N was that its pretend gearshifts were the most impressive thing about it. Welcome to the club, Andy.

I'll admit to being relieved that somebody high up at Porsche has taken notice. Electric performance cars are upon us and, whatever the sales charts say in the near term, are only going to grow in number. If you're a manufacturer, there's no point being dogmatic about not having this or that 'gimmick when we're so early on the innovation curve. Not when one of the first of those innovations can so instantly and fundamentally boost your enjoyment of the car.

I can remember trying the 5 N for the first time on a track and immediately thinking: 'Holy hell, Hyundai is properly onto something here.' If you're the kind of person more inclined to praise a car for having pedals perfectly set for heel-and-toe downshifts, loving the e-Shift function felt pretty rogue, but did it add depth to the driving experience? Without a doubt.

For one thing, simply being in one of many gears gives context to road speed. With a single-speed gearbox, endless torque and slick modern damping, you can become removed from how fast you're travelling. Vision becomes your only cue. If I have an awareness, consciously or otherwise, that I'm halfway up third gear, I instinctively know I'm in a vaguely sensible place. Top of fourth? It's getting silly. Most supersonic EVs reduce you to speedo watching.

It's also true that, in an ICE car, a downshift or two is the curtain-raiser for a juicy corner. You brake, shuffle down the 'box to settle yourself or elicit some weight transfer over the front axle, and turn in. Maybe you blend all three. It's fun and interesting. You establish rhythm. A single-speed EV is comparatively binary-less fun, interesting and rhythmic. It's the particular ebb and flow of multi-geared power delivery that matters, not how the power itself is generated.

Of course, if the tuning is poor, then such a synthesised system isn't worth having in an EV (hello, Lexus RZ). But the tuning of the Hyundai system is exceptionally good, to the extent that it may have blindsided Preuninger. You can forget that your right foot isn't controlling an engine. Lifting off at 6000rpm in third generates a subtly different amount of drag to doing the same at 6000rpm in second, and the sense of momentum building and the digital crankshaft accelerating as you pull through gears is spookily natural (the least convincing bit of the set-up in the 5 N is the exhaust note-also the easiest problem to solve).

The system is rewarding enough to have you frequently using the shift paddles, at which point you begin to wonder if, instead of paddles, why not a third pedal and a gearlever? Calibrating a single-speed electric driveline to behave like one with a six-speed manual gearbox would be frighteningly complex. For a start, there are endless ways even to feed in a clutch after shifting, and if the system were to feel intuitive, these would need to be accounted for.

It's a bit of a mad idea, but someone will try to do it at some point, and why shouldn't that be Porsche - newly receptive to the idea of fake shifts and in recent years a true stalwart of the manual gearbox? This is why Porsche's potential involvement in this space is encouraging. It will approach the synthetic shifts in a Porsche way - through the lens of an enthusiast. Anybody who has pulled for a 9000rpm upshift in a 911 GT3 fitted with the jewel-like Sport PDK gearbox knows how seriously they take the business of cog-swapping in Zuffenhausen. Just painstakingly recreate that digitally and pop it in an electric Cayman, please.

The best ever shooting brakes

Mon, 8 Jun 2026 06:44:04 +0100

Everyone loves a fast wagon - and in this story we're rounding up the very best you've ever been able to buy

What’s the difference between an estate and a shooting brake?

A lot has been lost in the mists of time and marketing, but the latter has to have some sass to its styling. Practicality isn’t the overriding concern of most shooting brakes, but added load space is certainly handy. Here’s our run-down of the best conversions and factory-fitted fast-back wagons:

Aston Martin DB5 and DB6

The first Aston Martin shooting brake was created for none other than company owner David Brown of ‘DB’ fame. This was created in-house, but when customers spotted it they wanted one too. So, Aston brought in coachbuilder Harold Radford to turn DB5s and 6s into estate cars. Everything from the windscreen rail back was new, so there was decent headroom and load space.

However, the conversion added 50% to the already hefty cost of a new Aston Martin, which explains why only 12 DB5s were made and half a dozen DB6s.

Ferrari 330 GT

Even by Ferrari standards, this 330 GT Shooting Brake is sensationally styled. Conceived by Luigi Chinetti Jnr, son of the US Ferrari importer, and Alfredo Vignale, the pair took a standard 330 and stripped it.

The only original body parts left are the windscreen and some door parts. Everything else is handcrafted and was originally finished in dark metallic green. This was how Jamiroquai frontman Jay Kay owned it, but it was subsequently painted a light gold colour.

Aston Martin V8 Vantage

Harking back to the 1960s DB conversions, the V8 Vantage Sportsman Estate used a whole new roof section to free up extra luggage space.

It took Swiss firm Roos 1,800 hours to craft this machine, which was hailed as the fastest estate in the world when completed. The German customer insisted the Aston was capable of carrying a set of skis inside, which makes you wonder how this car managed on snowy Alpine roads.

Ogle Triplex GTS

Ogle deserves credit for popularising the shooting brake style with its Glazing Test Special, which was commissioned by the Triplex Glass Company to showcase its Sundym glass.

With curved sections of glass for the front half of the roof and side windows that extend into rear part, the GTS wowed crowds at the 1965 London Motor Show. It was supposed to make further show appearances, but only made it to Turin that year as the Duke of Edinburgh requested it as his personal car and used it for two years.

Aston Martin EG

Underneath the sleek lines of this one-off Aston Martin EG lies the mechanical components of a Vanquish. Designed by Francesco Boniolo, the name comes from the original owner’s initials.

It’s 600mm longer than the base car and has a rear hatch for quick access to the wood-lined boot. The roof has an Isolite glass panoramic panel that can be darkened at the flick of a switch to shade the cabin.

Volvo 1800 ES

Volvo and estates: yeah, yeah, old news. Well, not with the 1800ES, which was one of the pioneers of the lifestyle wagons we know and love to buy today.

It was a bold move to turn the ageing 1800 coupé into a shooting brake to keep the model alive, but it worked brilliantly and 8077 were sold between 1971 and 1973. The single-piece glass rear hatch was innovative at the time and was revived for the 480ES in 1986.

Reliant Scimitar

Reliant cottoned on to the success of the Ogle GTS very quickly, which was based on a Scimitar coupé. The Tamworth firm came up with its own GTE in 1968 with design help from Tom Karen of Ogle.

With four individual seats and a large boot, the GTE was an instant hit, helped by lusty performance from its Ford-sourced 3.0-litre V6 motor. Princess Anne was an early and devoted customer, which also added extra glamour to the Reliant.

Ferrari Daytona

With such a mixed parentage, this Ferrari Daytona Shooting Brake could have ended up as a muddled design. However, with Italian mechanicals, a wealthy American owner and British coachbuilding it became one of the most jaw-dropping expressions of the form.

Owner Bob Gittleman commissioned the car and UK firm Panther Westwinds made it happen. Access to the load bay is through top-hinged gullwing glass panels, but don’t expect much space in the wood- and leather-lined compartment.

Jensen GT

Jensen helped build the early Volvo P1800 coupé but not the ES estate, which may explain why it took until 1975 for the British firm to catch on to the popularity of sporty shooting brakes.

The resulting Jensen GT used the previous Jensen-Healey as its base, albeit with reliability and quality niggles sorted. It was a useful load carrier and the Lotus engine gave spirited performance, but sales never took off and only 473 were sold when the shutters came down in 1976.

Lynx Jaguar Eventer

The flying buttresses of the Jaguar XJ-S always divided opinion. To address that, British restoration firm Lynx came up with the Eventer that skilfully grafted on shooting brake rear to create an altogether more elegant car.

Folding rear seats were part of the conversion to maximise load space. It took 14 weeks to make each Eventer and 67 were built during a 16-year lifespan between 1986 and 2002.

Lancia Beta HPE

Even under Fiat’s stewardship, Lancia always expressed its own character and that was demonstrated by the Beta HPE. Standing for High Performance Estate, this shooting brake was very much in the mould of the Reliant Scimitar.

It used the front bodywork of the Beta Coupe but sat on a saloon floorpan for a softer ride and longer wheelbase. It came together very well and sold 71,000 units over a 10-year life cycle. Only in the final year did Lancia offer the HPE with its 135bhp supercharged Volumex engine.

BMW Z3M Coupé

Like so many shooting brakes, the Z3M was the result of a small group of dedicated fans within BMW who saw the potential in a compact sporting estate.

Working in secret, they developed the car from the Z3 roadster and it’s been delighting fans ever since. With the E46 M3’s engine up front, performance is rapid. BMW also offered a non-M version of the Coupé but it was never offered with right-hand drive.

Ferrari FF

There was so much to take in at the launch of the Ferrari FF, its shooting brake style was almost glossed over. Here was a four-wheel drive Ferrari with 651bhp 6.2-litre V12 engine that covered 0-62mph in 3.7 seconds and hit 208mph flat out.

Yet the bodywork was just as wow-worthy as it can seat four in comfort and carry 450-litres of luggage. A practical family Ferrari? Yes, other than the £226,000 original list price.

Mercedes-Benz CLA

Mercedes was quick to catch the crest of the current wave of interest in four-door coupés and shooting brakes, so its CLA wagon was right on cue when launched in 2015.

By calling this model a Shooting Brake, it cannily side-stepped issues about lack of cargo space in the boot. Instead, it’s viewed as a more practical alternative to its saloon sister. If budget allows, the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 is the one to have.

Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake

It took Mercedes till the second generation of CLS for it to expand the line-up with the Shooting Brake estate. When it did, this fast-back wagon immediately grabbed attention thanks to its sweeping looks and air of menace, especially in AMG guise.

Yet despite those rakish lines, it was still a Mercedes estate at heart and offered more boot space than a contemporary Audi A6 Avant or BMW 5 Series Touring.

Bentley Continental Flying Star

When creating this Bentley Continental-based shooting brake, coachbuilder Touring Superleggera started with a GTC convertible rather than the expected coupé. The reason was it’s simpler to make a one-off estate from a drop-top than having to replace an existing roof.

However they went about it, the Italian craftsmen came up with a handsome wagon that can carry up to 1200-litres of luggage with the rear seats folded.

Audi Shooting Brake

Audi has used the Shooting Brake name on more than one concept. But the first was shown at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show. It previewed much of the styling and design that would be seen in the second generation of TT.

But this concept had its own distinct looks thanks to the extended roofline and tailgate. There were some rumours it might go into production, but they were quashed in 2007.

Qwest Tesla Model S

The Qwest Tesla Model S Shooting Brake was inspired, like so many others, by the need for space to carry a dog. This goes right back to the type’s original huntin’, fishin’ and shootin’ roots, but the Qwest is a very modern twist thanks to being the first all-electric take on the theme.

Made by British coachbuilding firm Qwest, it uses carbon fibre for the extended roof and hatch so that it weighs only 12kg more than a standard Model S.

Kia Ceed Shooting Brake

The latest addition to the shooting brake firmament is from Kia and broadens its Ceed range from hatch and estate. It’s also a clear indication there’s demand from the mainstream market for more stylish wagons as some begin to tire of crossovers and SUVs.

The emphasis will be very much on sporting enjoyment as the Shooting Brake takes the place of the three-door Proceed model.

Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato

Aston Martin is returning to the notion of coachbuilt cars to customer’s designs with the Vanquish Zagato Shooting Brake. Only 99 will be crafted by the company’s Q Division and each has an extra 27bhp from the V12 engine over a standard Vanquish.

The wagon remains a two-seater, but Aston says the Zagato becomes an ‘exceptionally practical GT’ with powered tailgate and double-bubble roof with glass inlays to allow extra light into the cabin.

Porsche 944 Cargo

The Porsche 944 offered good practicality as standard thanks to four seats and a decent boot, but for DP Motorsport it wasn’t enough.

So, this German racing team that was behind the Porsche 935 K3 Group 5 race car, grafted the rear of a Volkswagen Passat onto the coupe. The result looked just right and eight cars were made for customers at the time, plus you can still order a kit to create your own that costs €18,000.

What actually is a car platform, anyway?

Mon, 8 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0100

Volkswagen's MQB is among the most prominent platforms, spawning a variety of models

The word is commonly used in automotive circles, yet its meaning isn't widely understood – and is highly variable

One thing the car industry is renowned for is jargon – and the problem with jargon is that terms can be interpreted differently depending on who's using them.

Electric vehicles' traction motors are an example. Are those that avoid the use of permanent magnets separately excited synchronous motors or externally excited synchronous machines? You choose, because the industry has never been good at agreeing standards.

The term 'platform' is another example. In the past decade it has emerged from being a relative rarity in automotive chat to being as common as those old favourite phrases 'unsprung weight' and 'power-to-weight ratio'.

In fairness, there's a reason why 'platform' and its stablemate 'architecture' are so widely used now, and that's because both methods of engineering design are applied to the majority of mainstream cars today. The difference between the two can get a little fuzzy, and perhaps that's because they are so closely linked, but using both approaches as a foundation to underpin the building of cars not only allows manufacturers to do so profitably but in theory should also result in better cars.

One senior engineer described the difference between the two like this. An architecture shares the same approach to designing and manufacturing components like structures, powertrains and chassis (a common bill of design and process in engineering speak). On the other hand, a platform can be described as having common underframe, chassis and powertrain elements capable of residing beneath multiple "top hats", or bodystyles.

So, for example, two platforms – those for saloons and SUVs, say – might be built using the same architecture. Or, to turn that around, a single architecture can spawn more than one platform – those for saloons and crossovers, say.

In 2012, Jaguar Land Rover's D7a architecture did just that, providing the foundation for a family of completely different vehicles under two different brands: Jaguar's XE and XF and Land Rover's Range Rover Velar are examples.

Platforms aren't new, but they are more flexible and a powerful tool for manufacturers to use and share. Historically, it could mean simply sharing a floorpan and chassis, like the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia being based on the Beetle. Most of the industry's big names have used and shared platforms in Europe, Japan and America in similar ways over the years.

In Europe during the 1980s, a prime example of 'platform sharing' was Fiat's front-wheel-drive Tipo Quattro platform, which underpinned the Fiat Croma, Lancia Thema, Saab 9000 and Alfa Romeo 164. Although the wheelbases of the four cars were the same, other aspects were quite different, especially the powertrains, from Saab's four-cylinder turbo to Ferrari's V8 (in the Lancia), so this was far from a 'badge engineering' exercise.

Since then and especially over the past decade, platforms have developed considerably in sophistication. It's more than a decade since Volkswagen introduced its Modular Transverse Matrix, or MQB. 'Modular' is another buzzword used frequently now but easier to fathom than 'platform' or 'architecture'. It underlines the fact that modular platforms and the sizes of the cars they underpin can be changed by having a choice of basic components that are interchangeable, like centre sections that are longer to extend the wheelbase or the rear floor to carry a hybrid battery. In that sense, like a child's construction kit, different cars can be constructed by selecting alternative key components from the toolbox that is a modular platform.

There are limits, though: while a centre section or tail section dimension can be altered, there must be constraints, like the distance from the accelerator pedal to the front axle line in the case of the MQB. This is to accommodate a range of engines that all have the same major dimensions and form part of the same platform, whether petrol, diesel or hybrid.

What became pretty obvious fairly rapidly (and in truth had been all along) was that EVs would require their own architectures and platforms. If a car isn't going to have a combustion engine, fuel tank or exhaust system, what's underneath everything that we see can be very different. Four-wheel drive can easily be accomplished by fitting an electric motor at both ends, and today's two-wheel-drive EVs are either front- or rear-driven anyway. Batteries are easy to fit under—or, better still, as part of—the floor.

It's easy to see how perfectly electric powertrains with essential components like inverters integrated into the electric machines that drive the car lend themselves to dedicated, electric-only, modular platforms, and that's what has happened.

Volkswagen's Modular Electric Drive Toolkit, or MEB, followed the MQB. It was designed for rear-motor, rear-wheel drive and the option of a front motor giving four-wheel drive. In between the two it is flat, a battery forming the floor and a passenger compartment free of humps. It has since been shared with Ford, as well as other Volkswagen Group brands, such as Audi and Skoda, for which it was always intended.

Stellantis has taken a more cautious approach with its range of STLA-branded platforms: Large, Medium, Small and Frame (the last one being for pick-ups and commercial vehicles). Although they are billed as 'BEV-by-design', the company qualifies that with the phrase 'multi-energy', meaning it supports hybrid drive as well — so not quite the unequivocal approach taken by others, like the Hyundai Group's E-GMP platform and Volvo's new SPA3 platform beneath the EX60.

What we have covered so far is really the mechanical side of platforms: how they have become modular, comprised of a series of building blocks using both body and powertrain parts from a pre-designed and pre-manufactured toolkit. But we hear the word 'architecture' a lot as well in terms of electrics and electronics. EVs' electrical architectures are described as 400V, 800V or both, and in this case, although 'architecture' relates to components and their functions, the higher voltage allows smaller cable sizes, reduced weight and faster charging.

You will notice that these two are also referred to as 'platforms', to describe the basis on which a car is built. For infotainment system architecture it's a similar story, because the term refers to both hardware and software. Infotainment systems have moved from individual components like 'a radio' or 'a CD player' to sophisticated networks with centralised controllers incorporating stuff like entertainment, navigation, vehicle controls and more.

The latest is probably the 'software-defined vehicle' where, for example, electronics control the character of a chassis and how a car drives, rather than traditional hardware components. Component supply giant ZF says its CubiX software platforms represent a "paradigm shift in chassis development", because where engineers have used components to define the characteristics of a car's chassis, now it's the other way around. Electronic functions will control the way the chassis behaves by controlling components. The software platform isn't tied to any particular hardware either and can be used with third-party components as well as ZF's.

As more and more aspects of a car move to drive-by-wire, these centralised electronic control platforms are likely to play a much bigger role in a kind of overarching 'plug and play' scenario that will make car manufacturing and sophistication unrecognisable from just a couple of decades ago.

Some platforms you should know

Volkswagen Group Modularer Querbaukasten

The Volkswagen Group spent an estimated £50 billion developing the MQB platform and the first vehicles to use it, led by the fabled Mk7 Volkswagen Golf of 2012. It was money well spent: the hugely modular platform enabled the company to strip away vast swathes of production complexity and has been used for more than 70 different vehicles of hugely varying sizes across its various brands. To date, more than 32 million cars have been built using the platform.

Key models: Volkswagen Golf, Seat Ibiza, Audi TT, Volkswagen Tiguan, Skoda Superb, Skoda Kodiaq, Cupra Formentor

Renault-Nissan Common Module Family

Introduced in 2013, when the Renault-Nissan Alliance was in its pomp, the CMF is actually a family of platforms, ranging from CMF-A (used for A-segment cars such as the Renault Kwid) to CMF-C/D (used for the Renault Rafale, Nissan Qashqai and many more). There are also two electric versions: CMF-B EV (used for the likes of the Renault 5 and Nissan Micra) and CMF-EV (used for the Renault Megane E-Tech and Nissan Ariya). Renault took the lead on developing the CMF-B EV, with Nissan focusing on the CMF-EV. There's also plenty of confusion about the names of those platforms: Renault renamed them Ampr Small and Ampr Medium respectively but has now changed that to RGEV Small and RGEV Medium, while Nissan still uses their original titles.

Key models: Renault Clio, Renault 5, Nissan Juke, Nissan Qashqai, Mitsubishi Outlander, Renault Scenic E-Tech, Alpine A390

STLA Medium

Stellantis has four main platforms for its multitude of brands, labelled STLA Small, STLA Medium, STLA Large and, for pick-up trucks and commercial vehicles, STLA Frame. The core of its European line-up sits on the electric-first STLA Medium, which has its roots in the Efficient Modular Platform 2 (EMP2) that was developed by the PSA Group and launched in 2013. The STLA Medium is designed for the C- and D-segments, in which Stellantis sells more than 20 models—part of the reason it can produce up to two million vehicles on the platform each year. In electric form, the STLA Medium can accept two different battery sizes and front- and four-wheel-drive powertrains.

Key models: Peugeot 3008, Vauxhall Grandland, Jeep Compass, DS N°7

Setting sun: Japan's car makers deprioritise Europe as China races in

Mon, 8 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0100

Nissan, Honda and Mitsubishi are among the Japanese firms to look to other global markets for growth

Nissan’s announcement that Jaecoo owner Chery is ready to take over one of the two production lines at its underutilised Sunderland plant neatly illustrates a wider trend: that Japanese car companies are facing an existential crisis in Europe as their fingertip hold on a difficult market is now starting to crumble in the face of Chinese competition.

All Japanese brands bar Toyota are struggling to compete in the region and Nissan is the latest to admit that it can no longer commit to developing models just for Europe.

“The competition is getting more and more severe with Chinese players,” said Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa at last month's Financial Times Future of the Car Summit. “Traditionally we were investing a lot in specific products for Europe. With the scale that we have, it has proven not sustainable.”

Nissan becomes the latest Japanese brand after Honda and Mitsubishi to deprioritise Europe and instead focus on core regions, which in Nissan’s case means Japan, North America and China.

“By leveraging these larger markets, we support the amortisation of such products and don't [put] the burden on an operation that is smaller,” said Espinosa. “What we're doing is actually finding a sustainable way of staying in Europe.”

Japanese manufacturers shook up the European market in the 1970s and 1980s, when their superior manufacturing techniques produced more reliable transport. Despite the fears of local automotive executives, though, Japanese brands never really gained their predicted foothold in Europe and struggled to increase market share beyond around 13%.

“Many Japanese brands were hugely successful in the era when reliability was the key differentiator. As quality converged across the industry, that advantage became less powerful,” said David Bailey, professor of business economics at the Birmingham Business School.

That contrasted with their success in the US, where last year Japanese marques led by Toyota, Honda and Nissan accounted for a third of the market. “Japanese brands cracked America by offering exactly what US buyers wanted: reliable, affordable, sensible family transport. In Europe, being sensible isn’t always enough. Buyers often want heritage, design flair or a premium badge as well,” said Bailey.

Now that the Chinese are making serious inroads into the European market, Japanese brands are first in the firing line. “Japanese brands are coming under increasing pressure from Chinese OEMs that are migrating to hybrids to avoid anti-subsidy tariffs and stepping all over Japanese players' toes,” said automotive research analyst Matthias Schmidt. “They are also targeting the same brand-agnostic markets such as the UK, southern European and Nordic markets, where Japanese manufacturers have previously thrived.”

The British willingness to give a new brand a go helped secure Japanese investment in the UK, landing the nation factories for Nissan, Toyota and Honda. Now that same brand adventurism has made the UK the biggest market in Europe for Chinese imports and the Japanese are the first to suffer.

In the first fourth months of this year, the Japanese share of the UK market dropped to 12.4% from 14.3% in the same period last year, having been overtaken by the Chinese, who captured 15.4%. In April, it was even worse, with the Japanese at 9.3% and the Chinese at 17.3%.

Part of the reason for the Japanese brands' lack of success in Europe is the fact that their cars are often developed in their home market, which has rarely dovetailed with Europe’s in terms of drivetrain requirements. After battling for years to come up with a diesel solution for Europe, Japan’s car makers now have to contend with the fast pace of electrification.

Hybrids developed by Toyota now sync very neatly with Europe’s needs after a slow burn in terms of acceptance, but EVs are another issue. Japan’s 12.6% overall share of the European car market in the first months of the year drops to just 4.6% for electric compared with a whopping 49% for hybrid. More EVs are coming but the issue stems from the lack of interest back home in Japan, where EVs accounted for less than 3% of sales last year.

China, on the other hand, tracks much closer to the electrified future that both the UK and the European Union envisage. For example, China’s share of the UK electric market for the first four months stood at 20.4%, rising to 44% for plug-in hybrids.

However, Japan’s failure to launch in Europe is not a story that includes its biggest car maker. Toyota has steadily plugged away at Europe to the point that in 2025 it recorded its biggest year to date in the region, with the Toyota brand logging 1.14 million vehicle sales.

The car maker now accounts for around half of all Japanese car sales in Europe after doggedly developing product with the design, technology and quality feel to entice buyers away from Volkswagen Group brands. Cars like the C-HR and Aygo X are region specific and Toyota has thrived because of them.

For Japanese brands without the scale to target European buyers, the solution to retain a foothold in Europe is to rely on partners who either offer the local scale or the technology to compete.

Some lean on Toyota: the current Mazda 2 is a rebadged version of the Yaris. Nissan taps former alliance partner Renault, which builds the new electric Micra based on the Renault 5 and will soon supply the Wave, a city car based on the Twingo. Mitsubishi also sources a chunk of its range from Renault, including the Scenic-based Eclipse Cross.

For EVs, the solution for many Japanese brands has been to turn to what is now their biggest regional rival: China. Nissan’s Espinosa said that collaborating with its Chinese joint-venture partner was an option for future electric platforms in Europe. Honda already sources its e:NY1 electric SUV from China, while Mazda leverages its partnership with Changan to supply the 6e electric saloon and new CX-6e electric SUV.

Aside from the early departure of Daihatsu in 2013, no Japanese brand is talking about leaving altogether. Those embracing the new, asset-light method of supplying a combination of imports and partner-developed models are posting profits in the region for now.

Mazda, for example, earned the equivalent of £84 million in the financial year ending March 2026, only slightly down on the year before. Honda posted European profits equivalent to £76 million for the same period, up nearly 200% from the previous year. (Suzuki doesn’t break out Europe in its financial results.)

However, Nissan remains in the mire financially in Europe, losing the equivalent of £252 million for the financial year but improving on the £460 million loss for the year before. The company is taking steps to reduce costs at its underutilised Sunderland plant, including shutting one of its two lines in preparation reportedly to lease or sell it to a Chinese maker, potentially Chery – the company that bought its Barcelona and South Africa factories.

Toyota, meanwhile, continues to earn strong money in Europe, posting profits for the region equivalent to £1.5 billion in the last financial year, equating to a profit margin of 4.9%, down from the 6.6% it managed from the year before.

Whether Toyota can remain strong and continue to fly the flag for Japan in Europe remains an open question. European-focused hybrid models like the Yaris Cross and Aygo X hybrid differentiate the brand from the Chinese, but brands like MG, BYD and Chery are filling gaps all the time and posting strong hybrid growth. The world’s toughest market has just got even tougher.

The finest cars of Buick

Sun, 7 Jun 2026 07:24:10 +0100

Buick: the story of America’s oldest auto firm still running

Small to large.

By a small margin, Buick is the oldest North American company still building cars today, was the first to be incorporated into General Motors, and marked its 120th birthday in 2023.

To have survived so long, Buick has clearly been doing something right for the last 120 odd years, which is as good a reason as any for us to delve into its history:

The founder

David Dunbar Buick (1854-1929) was born in Arbroath on the east coast of Scotland, but was taken by his family to the US at the age of two. Like Henry Ford (1863-1948), he created three companies, the last of which was by far the most successful.

The Buick Motor Company was incorporated on 19 May 1903, two months before Ford. Its predecessors had built cars, but this was the one that took the business seriously.

The first car

The first Buick to go to market, in 1904, was the Model B, which was renamed several times as it was developed over the years. None are believed to survive, but there are still over a dozen examples of the Model C derivative.

These cars had exceptional performance for their day, largely because their valves were mounted above the cylinders rather than alongside. This was due to the work of chief engineer Walter Marr (1865-1941), an early adopted of overhead-valve technology.

PICTURE: 1905 Buick Model C

General Motors

The Buick Motor Company got into deep financial trouble very quickly, and might not have lasted for much more than a year. It was saved by William Durant (1861-1947, pictured), who had made a fortune selling horse-drawn carriages. Not initially keen on cars, Durant was impressed by the Buick, and bought the company.

In 1908, he created a holding company called General Motors, Durant realizing before others that autos were going to be a huge new consumer product and economies of scale were key to producing them efficiently. Buick, by now very successful after its shaky start, was its first acquisition. Founder David Buick left the business in 1906 with a $100,000 pay off (around $3 million in today's money), but subsequent business ventures didn’t work out and he died, apparently broke, in March 1929.

The Four

Buick Four is the collective name for a series of cars built after the GM takeover, whose engines had four cylinders, rather than the two in the Model B and its successors. Each cylinder was only slightly smaller than those of the older engine, and since there were twice as many of them the capacity almost doubled.

Oddly, Buick reverted to the less efficient sidevalve (or flathead) arrangement for this engine, but even in its earliest form it was far more powerful at 30bhp.

PICTURE: 1909 Buick Model 10 Runabout

The Six

The Six was the last Buick launched before the US entered the First World War, and marked the debut of the company's first six-cylinder engine. Its cylinders were arranged in-line, and Buick reverted to the overhead valve head it had started out with.

The Six was in production from 1914 until 1925, but the engine was still being used as late as 1930. Available in capacities ranging from 3.1 to 5.4 litres, it was also fitted to the upmarket Master Six and the junior-level Standard Six.

Marquette

In the 1920s, GM tried to increase its market penetration by creating companion makes for four of its five brands (the exception being Chevrolet). Buick's companion was Marquette, a new division whose name had last been used in 1912. Powered by an uncharacteristic sidevalve/flathead engine, the Marquette was a single model available in six body styles, and was cheaper than contemporary Buicks.

Marquette survived only for the 1930 model year before being discontinued. Two other companion makes lasted hardly any longer, though Pontiac (created as a junior brand to Oakland) uniquely outlived its senior partner and remained active until 2010.

McLaughlin-Buick

Originally a carriage maker, Ontario-based McLaughlin moved into the car industry in the early years of the 20th century. In 1918, it was merged with Chevrolet's Canadian arm to become General Motors Canada.

Its cars later became known as McLaughlin-Buicks. This name survived until the US entered the Second World War. In the post-War period, the McLaughlin name was dropped, and the cars were sold simply as Buicks.

Straight-eight

Straight-eight engines became almost the default choice for premium North American cars in the 1920s, despite the structural and packaging advantages of the more compact V8. Buick was late to the party, but it added its own overhead-valve straight-eight to its entire range in the 1931 model year.

The engine was available across a wide variety of displacements from 3.6 litres to 5.2 litres, and was still being fitted to some Buicks as late as 1953.

PICTURE: 1934 Buick Series 60 with straight-eight engine

The first Century

Buick has used periodically Century as a name since the 1936 model year. Its first appearance was on a fashionably streamlined update of the car previously known as the Model 60.

This was by no means the biggest Buick of its time, but it was fitted with the largest (5.2 litres) and most powerful (120bhp) version of the straight-eight engine. The Century name was chosen because the car could reach 100mph, or at least had a speedometer which suggested that it might.

The first Limited

Buick began to use the name Limited (suggesting exclusivity rather than parsimony) in the 1936 model year. The original Limited was an update of the Series 90. It was so large and luxurious that Buick almost seemed to be encroaching on the territory of GM's poshest brand, Cadillac.

Including a major mid-life update, production continued for more than half a decade until Buick was obliged by world events to shift its focus in 1942.

The Y-Job

Buick is credited with being the first manufacturer to build a concept car - one designed to be seen in public and show off its maker's ability, but with no suggestion that a production model would follow.

GM's chief designer Harley Earl (1893-1969) wanted the 1938 Y-Job to be as low and sleek as possible. To achieve this, he specified 13-inch diameter wheels at a time when 16s were the norm. Earl used the car as his daily driver for several years. According to GM, it then "languished in dusty anonymity" for a while before being fully restored.

Buick wagons

Buick has used the British term ‘wagon’ to describe cars which would normally be called station wagons in North America. It first did this in 1940, applying the name to an extra-roomy derivative of the Buick Super. This policy continued until the final Roadmaster Wagon was built in 1996.

PICTURE: 1940 Buick Super Wagon

Buick at war

General Motors put enormous energy into building armaments for the Second World War. Buick's major contribution was the design and construction of the very fast M18 Hellcat tank destroyer, which was capable of travelling at 55mph despite weighing around 18 tons.

Just over 2500 were built in 1943 and 1944. It performed service in all theaters, but mainly Europe, and was admired for its 50mph top speed, which gave it the ability to outmaneuver slower German tanks; Germany’s Panther could only muster 34mph.

Post-War styling

By 1950, two styling features which would become familiar on Buicks for several years were already well established. One was a distinctive chrome grille featuring a large number of vertical elements placed side by side.

Buicks were also notable for their VentiPorts - three or four (depending on model) air outlets on the front fenders behind and above the wheels. In the UK, Sunbeam would later use similar (though less obvious) outlets on its MkIII sedan.

PICTURE: 1949 Buick Roadmaster Riviera convertible showing both features

The Sweepspear

Buick's stylists also developed the Sweepspear, which first appeared on the 1949 Roadmaster Riviera. This elaborate chrome strip ran almost the whole length of the car, starting high before curving down to sill level, then swooping up over the rear wheels.

PICTURE: 1954 Buick Skylark Convertible with Sweepspear

The Nailhead

Buick's first V8 engine was nicknamed Nailhead because its narrow valves, arranged vertically in the cylinder head, resembled a row of nails. Initially available in 4.3-litre and 5.3-litre forms, it was fitted to a wide variety of Buicks from 1953, and occasionally to the Chevrolet Task Force truck. In its second generation, the Nailhead reached a capacity of 7.0 litres.

PICTURE: 1955 Buick Roadmaster with 5.3-litre Nailhead V8

A car named Electra

In 1959, Buick introduced the first of several models called Electra. It was named after Electra Waggoner Biggs (1912-2001), the sister-in-law of recently retired GM and former Buick president Harlow Curtice (1893-1962), who was TIME magazine's Person of the Year in 1955. The town of Electra, Texas is named after her mother.

Typically for American cars of the time, the Electra featured very large rear fins, known as Delta fins. When the second-generation car was launched in 1961 fashion had quickly changed, and there was almost no sign of them.

PICTURE: 1959 Buick Electra Convertible

From Buick to Rover

The Nailhead engine was replaced in 1961 by a new 3.5-litre aluminum V8, named 215. Highly respected for its combination of high power and low weight, it was used both by Buick and by several other GM brands for a few years before being abandoned due to its high manufacturing cost, with iron-blocked engines used instead.

Britain’s Rover however urgently needed a powerful new engine and bought the rights to the engine, modified it and began using it in its high-end cars, including (from 1970) the original Range Rover. Short-lived as an American engine, it survived for many years as a British one in Rovers, MGs, Triumphs, Morgans, TVRs and a very large number of home-built competition cars.

PICTURE: Range Rover with Buick-derived V8 engine

The Riviera

Buick had used the Riviera name for special versions of other cars for several years before assigning it to a standalone model in 1962. Like the Ford Thunderbird, this was a personal luxury car - a relatively sporty model but one with an emphasis on comfort rather than performance, despite being fitted with the mighty second-generation Nailhead V8 engine.

The Riviera’s lustrous design is partly because it was originally destined to be a Cadillac, one notch higher in the GM firmament, but Cadillac didn’t want it. Buick created other production Rivieras up to the end of the 20th century, and a couple of concepts with that name in the 21st.

PICTURE: 1963 Buick Riviera

The Buick V6

The 1962 Buick Special was the first car fitted with Buick's new V6 engine, a layout almost completely unknown in North American markets at that time. Initially known as the Fireball, it was sold to Kaiser-Jeep, but GM bought the rights back after the oil crisis of the early 1970s.

Development continued for years afterwards. Latterly known as the 3800, the engine remained in production until 2008; its last application was in the 2009 Buick LaCrosse sedan.

PICTURE: 1963 Buick Special Convertible

Gran Sports

High-performance Buicks have been named either Gran Sport or GS since 1965, when a Skylark with a 7.0-litre Nailhead V8 engine was introduced. The series included the 1970 GSX, which easily qualifies as a muscle car.

It was a special version of the second-generation Skylark with a 7.5-litre V8, front and rear spoilers and stiffer than normal suspension. Buick built 678 examples in 1970, 500 of them painted Saturn Yellow and 178 Apollo White.

Front-wheel drive

Buick did not get round to producing a front-wheel drive car until 1979, half a century after the Cord L-29 had gone on sale with that layout. It wasn't even a new development for General Motors. The sixth-generation Riviera was related to the Cadillac Eldorado and Oldsmobile Toronado, both of which had been FWD since the mid 1960s.

Earlier Rivieras had been based on the same platform as those cars too, but Buick had made a point of converting it to rear-wheel drive for its own purposes.

Buick in NASCAR

Buicks were driven in the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) for many years, but never with more success than in 1981 and 1982. 1981 was the first year of NASCAR's Generation 3 regulations. Buick's contender was the Regal, in which Darrell Waltrip won the first of his three Drivers' titles, while Buick won the Manufacturers' crown.

Both achievements were repeated the following year. Bobby Allison used a Buick for most of 1983 and became the Driver's champion, though the top manufacturer overall that year was Chevrolet.

The Grand National

Buick celebrated its NASCAR triumph of 1981 by creating a Grand National version of the Regal, which went on sale the following year. The road car was fitted with the by now very well established 3.8-litre V6 engine, rather than the 5.8-litre V8 used in the racer.

For the 1987 model year Buick created the ultimate variant named GNX: good for over 300 hp, just 547 were made and flew off the lots. One of them with just 568 miles on the clock sold in January 2022 for a cool $308,000, and you won’t get near a rather more used example for less than $50,000 today.

Buick at Indy

Buick first won a race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1909, two years before the first 500-mile race. In the 1980s, Buick developed a competition version of its road-going V6 for Indy racing. The rules of the time allowed 'stock block' engines to be larger than ones designed from the start for competition, and to have higher levels of turbo boost.

The Buick V6 never won the 500, but it was a popular choice for many teams. Buick pulled out of the project in 1992, citing decreasing relevance to engines used in production cars.

The Park Avenue

After being used for a trim level on the Electra, Park Avenue became a model name for Buick's full-size luxury sedan. It was built in two generations from 1990 to 2005, and was powered by the 3.8-litre V6 in either supercharged or naturally aspirated form.

A third Park Avenue was launched in China in 2007, and remained on the market for five years. This was essentially a slightly altered Holden Caprice, assembled in Shanghai from parts shipped in from Australia.

Buick in China

Buick has been popular in China for many years. According to GM, statesman and philosopher Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925), Emperor Pu Yi (1906-1967) and Premier Zhou Enlai (1898-1976) all either owned or were driven in the company's cars and that status has served the US brand very well in the country, helping GM become by far the most successful of the Big 3 in China.

Buick manufacturing within China itself began in 1999. The first models were a local version of the Regal and the original GL8 MPV.

Buick Sail

Based on the Opel Corsa, the Sail was the first low-cost Buick built and sold in China. The problem with this was that the car did not fit with China’s upmarket perception of the brand. In 2005, GM switched to selling it as a Chevrolet.

Chevrolet was perceived as having a younger image than Buick.

The Rendezvous

Very few manufacturers nowadays can get away without having at least one crossover SUV in its line-up. Buick entered this market sector in 2001 with the Rendezvous, a corporate cousin of the Pontiac Aztek.

The Rendezvous had an unusual appearance, but it looked far less regrettable than its Pontiac equivalent, which is widely regarded as one of the ugliest cars ever sold. Probably for this reason, the Rendezvous outsold the Aztek in a big way every year until they were both discontinued in 2007.

Buick Enclave

Of the nameplates currently used by Buick in North America, the oldest is Enclave. The three-row SUV went into production in 2007, and went into its second generation ten years later. It was given a mid-life update in 2021.

A two-row Enclave based on a shorter version of the same platform went on sale in China in 2020.

Buick Cascada

To an even greater extent than the Sail mentioned earlier, the Cascada was a renamed Opel rather than a 'proper' Buick. The four-seat convertible was developed by GM Europe and sold on that continent as an Opel or, in the UK, a Vauxhall. It was marketed as a Holden in Australia and a Buick in North America.

Several engines were available in most markets, but only the most powerful - a 1.6-litre petrol turbo producing just short of 200 hp - was offered in the Buick.

Buick Velite

Buick used the Velite name for a roadster concept in 2004, and then for the Chinese version of the second-generation Chevrolet Volt hybrid, known as the Velite 5. The current Velite 6 is a compact hatchback which made its debut as an EV but is now also available as a plug-in hybrid.

The Velite 7 crossover, offered only as an EV, is built on the same platform as the Velite 6 and all-electric Chevrolet models sold in North America and elsewhere.

PICTURE: Buick Velite 7

The rise of the virtual gearbox: Why EV sports cars are faking it

Sun, 7 Jun 2026 07:00:00 +0100

Simulated sequential 'boxes, pioneered by Hyundai, are the hottest new trend in high-performance EVs

The sign of any great new technology is how quickly it smoothly slips into your life.

When was the last time you actively thought about making a contactless card payment? The speed at which I defaulted to using the faux gears of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N's N e-Shift system after making first acquaintance with it - even keeping it murmuring away in the background, mimicking a dual-clutch automatic 'box on more arduous drives - was telling. N division had knocked it out the park.

Its vibe is of something central to the car's mood board right from the off, not a 'wouldn't that be nice?' bonus slotted in closer to the project's conclusion - a hunch confirmed by Alexander Eichler, a senior engineer at Hyundai's European base in Rüsselsheim, Germany.

"It was initiated very early on," he says. "At that time, Albert Biermann was the father of N, and he always was very engaged when it came to gearshifts. He had pushed us in developing our dual-clutch transmission and he thought that we should offer something similar in the electric era.

"The secret behind it, the reason it turned out to be so realistic, is that we had engineers working on both projects; they knew exactly how a DCT feels, how a perfect and imperfect shift feels. To make it realistic, it has to be imperfect, of course, otherwise it would be too seamless."

Chasing imperfection seems an illogical central tenet for an engineering team, but then the petrol-engined Hyundai hot hatches that came before the Ioniq 5 N were lovable precisely for their roguish nature beside more strait-laced rivals - a spirit that lives on in N division's electrified era.

"We use various models," continues Eichler. "The pump losses of a combustion engine vary over the RPM range, so our virtual drag torque also had to vary across the revs in order to feel realistic. We had a lot of debate about what drag torque we should overlay for it. And we ended up with almost twice the figure you typically get from a V8 petrol engine."

Essentially, Eichler and his team had to overemphasise this element of their simulation to counter the Ioniq 5's inherent size and weight, "but the rest exactly mimics the physics behind a real combustion engine", he promises. It's a firm "yes" when I ask if smaller, lighter N products would use different N e-Shift maps.

The Ioniq 5 N, a bona fide five-star car here at Autocar, already feels pretty deft and agile for its 2235kg weight. The N e-Shift works hand in hand with the N Active Sound+ system to ensure an impressively realistic turbocharged four cylinder sound matches upshifts, downshifts and engineered-in physical jolts through the car.

Staggeringly, the two technologies were developed by different teams, but clearly they share a strong relationship. The Ioniq 5 N will enthusiastically bap-bap-bap against its 8000rpm limiter and you will feel and hear the effects of a last-ditch downchange to second, the car held against an invisible barrier partway through a turn if you're not mighty quick to grab third.

N e-Shift feels like a startlingly good invention by people who clearly care about what they do, and it's a piece of technology that expertly mirrors the general dynamics of the car. This is a grippy, neatly balanced, four-wheel-drive mega-hatch, but one that allows its wheels to slip and its steering wheel to writhe around in your hands with relatively modest provocation.

The harder you push, the more its sensations heighten, and where other EVs frustrate with increasing commitment, its appeal crystallises under such conditions. Reports from my esteemed colleagues suggest its Ioniq 6 N saloon sibling - with a new, improved tune of e-Shift - only sharpens the dynamism.

"Hyundai is a great company for letting you play around without the management saying 'come on, this doesn't make sense'," says Eichler. "Having fun: that's the clear strategy. It's a nice playground for us."

And what about its Kia and Genesis siblings, which now also deploy faux gears in some of their sprightlier EVs? "We are always in contact with them. Naturally we share our software logics, but then it's always up to each team what exact logics they would like to use."

While Hyundai N projects will continue to deploy more extreme tunes of the technology, there's still fun to be had with their relations. The new Kia EV9 GT is a curious and still rather luxurious electric SUV that uses an eight-speed, 7200rpm-limited Virtual Gear Shift system. It gives its driver something familiar to latch onto and is evidence of a spark in a car that, in bald terms, isn't a pure enthusiast machine.

In a Genesis GV60 or GV70, it's nice to simply leave the system running in automatic mode in the background, some of the pitch and heave of a stocky electric SUV - and thus the potential for car sickness - usefully dimmed by its presence. The rortier GV60 Magma, meanwhile, is set to score a 9000rpm redline to accompany its V6-impersonating acoustics.

Will shift strategies always feel rooted in the reality of a petrol-powered car? "I think that's what customers expect when you offer this," answers Eichler. "If you let it go to the real limit of the e-motor, which is over 20,000rpm, would that make sense? I don't think anyone would really understand it, so we limit to 8000rpm, which is what people know from combustion engines."

Given that electric motors' revolutions are significantly reduced by simulated gears, it's fair to hypothesise a notable lag in their track performance. "It depends on your personal driving style," says Eichler.

"Theoretically you would lose some seconds, although [former World Touring Car Champion] Gabriele Tarquini supported one of our media events at a race track in Italy and, on that track, he told me he's faster with Ne-Shift than without, for a simple reason: when you accelerate out of the curves, you have to work to ensure the car doesn't oversteer too much, and by just selecting the right gear, he can be fully on the throttle out of corners, knowing that the car is capable of taking it."

Enthusiasm for virtual gearshifts outside of Hyundai is mixed, however. Porsche has shown support but Lamborghini appears to disagree. Polestar's head of product attributes, Christian Samson, is currently against the idea too.

"The way Hyundai has done it is entertaining, but I don't see us doing that," he tells me. "It makes you smile, and we have assessed it from time to time, but it feels like a decoration that calls upon heritage or legacy. We come from a minimalistic, more contemporary place."

However, with BMW having committed to the concept for its forthcoming quad-motor M3 EV, the wind is firmly in the sails of Eichler's team. "We have big smiles on our face when we read these articles, and it encourages us to make our work even better," he says. "Some healthy competition is all part of the game, isn't it?"

Honda is another big proponent, with its new Super-N electric hot hatch offering seven simulated gears and a matching soundtrack in a car costing less than £20,000. Our first taste of a pre-production car showed promise, while the S+ Shift system in the new Prelude draws its faux-gear experience from an actual engine to help glamorise a sensible hybrid powertrain that might otherwise feel like ballast in a seductive coupé. The result is a thoroughly likeable car.

"Our target was to have a very engaging sensation with S+," says chief engineer Tsutomu Tatsuishi. The Prelude's modest 117mph top speed provides a small spectrum across which to spread eight simulated gears, ensuring your hands are kept busy on the paddles - although with no pure manual mode, it saves any blushes: "Changing gears here doesn't mean any friction, time loss or mechanical wear. And there are no space constraints. We could just think about the fun and pleasure you have when changing gear."

Toyota, meanwhile, has dabbled with a simulated manual 'box right down to a physical gearlever and three pedals - something editor Mark Tisshaw has sampled in a Lexus UX 300e. In the here and now, the brand's RZ 550e is a gently competitive electric crossover whose driving experience is dramatically gamified by a steer-by-wire yoke and the stubby shift stalks of its eight-speed Interactive Manual Drive set-up.

"The idea was born from the desire to play catch-ball with the car," says advanced drivetrain engineer Yoichiro Isami. "We realised the drive felt less rewarding [without the sensation of shifts]. I purposefully made it jerky and added sound when it would otherwise be quiet. The system requires a certain amount of skill: it will return both your successes and your mistakes."

The Lexus system offers no pure auto mode, meaning you must stay focused on your current ratio lest you end up crawling ponderously out of a village in 'fifth. But on the right road, in the right mood, it's fun, even if the more realistic sound profiles and physical sensations of a Hyundai N car evade it.

Crucially it appears to be our first taste of something much more significant: the electric Lexus LFA Concept has synthesised gears, and you would expect a production version to need such surprise-and-delight features to help it escape the shadow cast by its legendary V10-powered ancestor.

Indeed, an acknowledgement of what was great before feels crucial to tech like this reaping affection in the future.

Back to Eichler: "I always loved combustion engines, and I still have an Alpina B3 S in my garage, which I had as a daily car before I joined Hyundai. When we have a few days of snow here, I head out to the mountains to have fun with it." When that's a pastime of one of the brains behind N e-Shift, no wonder we're so rapt by the minor revolution that it has brought to performance EVs. Let's hope his peers move the game on yet further.

My 1992 V8 Range Rover only costs me £100 in repairs each year

Sun, 7 Jun 2026 07:00:00 +0100

It's rare to find a Mk1 Range Rover used as intended, but this one is

"It's a genuine Chelsea tractor," says Mike Hurst, pointing to the Chelsea & Kensington parking permit on the windscreen of his 1992 J-reg Range Rover 3.5 V8 Vogue SE auto, finished in Ardennes Green.

It's not his permit: it was there when he bought the car 19 years ago, unbelievably from a chap at the roadside.

Mike recalls: "He said it was knocking from somewhere and he wasn't happy. I drove it round the block. It just needed a new shock absorber and I thought 'I've got some of those'. I paid him £1350 for the car. It was a bargain, but I have spent well over £2000 on it, mainly treating rust."

Still, £2000 in almost 20 years isn't bad going. The latest expense was a new radiator (Chinese, £185) and something rather more serious: a repair requiring engine removal.

"It broke down on the M25," explains Mike. "I suspected the core plug at the back of the engine. I have a good friend who took the engine out, but it turned out the cause was a leaky water pipe! Still, we did find the bulkhead-to-chassis mounting was heavily corroded, so we changed that.

"This job aside, for me the appeal of these earlier Range Rovers is that although they're not very reliable [his car is 33 years old so suffers things like electrical issues], they are relatively easy to fix.

"New as well as salvaged parts are cheap and plentiful, too. A headlight is just £20, for example. It needed a replacement wheel once but they're fairly easy to find, although the one I did track down is a slightly different shade of green.

"However, I have had to replace the electric window switches with a switch block of my own design."

Mike was bitten by the Range Rover bug when he saw the new models at the 1970 London motor show, he explains: "I promised myself that one day I'd own one. As things turned out, I've now owned seven of them. I owned two in Saudi Arabia and drove them in the desert, unfortunately breaking the gearbox in one of them.

"They were two-door models. People still say the only proper Range Rover is the early two-door.

"I'm giving this one to my grandson in three years' time. In fact, after I've spoken to you, my granddaughter is going to drive it around the off-road course at Brooklands. She passed her driving test only one year ago, but I trust her."

Mike chairs the Middlesex County Automobile Club, which, he tells me proudly, was founded in 1905, only 10 years after Autocar. To this day the club still awards the Autocar Cup. Past members of the club include the 5th Earl Howe, co-founder of the British Racing Drivers' Club, and speed record breaker Sir Malcolm Campbell.

A former president was the 1st Baron Brabazon, who with Charles Rolls made the first ascent in a British-made gas balloon.

"I use the Range Rover at all our events, for marshalling and whatnot," says Mike. "I've driven it on many off-road courses and occasionally it has almost been on its side, but it still comes back for more. It may look a little tired and rusty, but at heart it's still a Range Rover."

Inside the Leapmotor-Stellantis deal that's changing the car world

Sun, 7 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0100

Stellantis and fast-moving firm Leapmotor joined forces three years ago – what's next?

European manufacturers have faced significant disruption and challenges in recent years, but the rapid expansion of Chinese firms into the region presents the biggest existential threat to their survival yet.

How can legacy car firms, already struggling with the cost of electrification and ever-shifting legislation, combat aggressive rivals who are out to rapidly grow market share through being leaner, faster and, most crucially, able to sell vehicles far more cheaply? Tough ask.

But what if, instead of trying to take on and fight the Chinese invaders, you help them? That's the approach taken by Stellantis - whose brands include Citroën, Peugeot and Vauxhall - in its innovative partnership with Leapmotor.

In 2023, the global car giant acquired a 20% stake in the then eight-year-old Chinese vehicle maker, which included the creation of a joint venture, Leapmotor International, to sell the nascent firm's cars overseas. But the deal is fast-growing: Leapmotor are going to start building cars at a Stellantis plant in Europe – and Vauxhall will launch a new SUV built in partnership with the Chinese company.

So how is this partnership developing and can a global car giant and an ambitious start-up really find a way to work together for mutual benefit?

Leapmotor's origin

Slightly awkwardly, given Leapmotor's international partner, it was a Renault Twizy that inspired Jiangming Zhu, pictured above, to start a car firm. He spotted one when on holiday in Valencia in 2015 and claims it made him realise electric vehicles were about to disrupt the industry.

Zhu made his fortune in a very different business: he was a co-founder of Dahua Technology, the world's second-largest maker of surveillance equipment. (The US and UK governments have both prohibited the use of the firm's technology in government buildings.) Along with the other Dahua shareholders, Zhu founded Leapmotor in late 2015 and it was part of a rush of new energy vehicle (NEV, which in China includes electric and hybrid cars) start-ups as the state heavily pushed EV technology. Zhu ran both firms for six years before stepping away from Dahua to focus purely on Leapmotor.

As the realities of the market hit, hundreds of Chinese NEV start-ups failed and only a handful now survive, including the likes of Leapmotor and Nio. Zhu says the firm's focus on advanced technology has been key, but "our USP over other Chinese manufacturers is that our business model is highly vertically integrated".

The company claims that 65% of the value of the car, including crucial elements such as the batteries and electric motors, are produced in-house, which Zhu calls "a competitive advantage".

One area where that competitive advantage resonates is speed, both in terms of development and production. Zhu says: "Twenty years ago with petrol cars, US, Japanese and European car makers had a technology and skills advantage. Chinese manufacturers have been working on ICE cars for decades, but we were never going to be in a central role. But in the EV age, we have all the supply chains, we produce all the components, and we benefit in cost and quality. We have an advantage compared to European firms, particularly in components such as batteries."

Leapmotor sold around 600,000 cars globally last year and aims to increase that to one million this year. The bulk of those sales remain in its home country, but it is growing fast elsewhere. Its models arrived in the UK last year and are sold through Stellantis distribution channels, with the firm racking up 4273 sales. That's growing: Leapmotor has already achieved 3676 sales in the first four months of 2026.

Going global

Given Leapmotor's ambitions, the firm was never going to settle purely for success in China. Indeed, Zhu claims: "We have been preparing to go global for a long time." Linking up with Stellantis to do that might seem unusual, but it's all about speed.

In 2023, Stellantis paid €1.5 billion (£1.3bn) for a 20% stake in Leapmotor and the two firms founded Leapmotor International, which has exclusive rights to manufacture and sell Leapmotor cars outside China. It's a joint venture, with Stellantis holding a crucial 51% stake. Leapmotor International CEO Tianshu Xin is a long-time Stellantis executive and has since also been named Stellantis China's chief operations officer.

"We are empowered by Stellantis," says Zhu. "We use their sales channels, marketing and financial services, and it makes us very fast. This partnership will give us an even stronger advantage over our competitors".

To expand globally, a car firm would usually need to find importers to work with in each country, or set up bespoke infrastructure. "That will take many, many years," says Xin, "especially because each region is different, with a different market and different customers. Speed is key and Mr Zhu is very pragmatic. He's an entrepreneur so he understands how many years it would take to be successful. We're already there."

As for Stellantis, Xin describes the deal as "very well matched for both parties". He says: "When we signed the deal, Leapmotor was selling 140,000 cars so they needed to scale. Stellantis is a perfect partner: it's a creation of many different companies, with 14 brands. Leapmotor is now a Chinese brand in the portfolio."

A key appeal to Stellantis was that working closely with a Chinese firm would give it an advantage in the world's largest car market, where Western brands have found it increasingly difficult to compete.

"The Chinese market is so different," says Xin. "The technology is different. The customers are different. In China, every car is like a mobile phone. So taking a car designed, developed and produced in Europe and localising it here doesn't work any more, from either a product feature or cost perspective. Global car firms need a presence in China, but to do that you need to work with a local partner who can help you develop the product you need at the speed and cost base it's needed."

Xin also believes that Leapmotor's Stellantis link gives it an edge in winning over the trust of European customers. "Before we launched, I spoke to dealers and customers to try to understand the pain points of a new Chinese brand. Number one was trust: you don't want to buy a phone if the company that made it disappears tomorrow."

He cites the example of a lack of a service network or parts supplies, which has caused issues for some early-arriving Chinese brands, and notes that Leapmotor spares are distributed by the proven Stellantis network.

That co-operation could extend as far as the development of a shared platform that could be used for models from both Leapmotor and other Stellantis brands, possibly built at Leapmotor plants in China. Xin says they "will not rule it out completely", describing it as a "great idea [that] is certainly under exploration".

The push for scale

If it seems odd that a global giant such as Stellantis would be interested in access to Leapmotor's components, you just need to visit Huzhou in China. While Leapmotor vehicles are largely built in a facility in the firm's home city of Hangzhou, nearby Huzhou is home to a vast electric motor plant, and a battery factory run by sibling firm Leapenergy.

Both are massive. The battery plant can produce 383,000 battery packs a year and has the facilities to assemble everything from EV and PHEV packs to 12V batteries. Leapenergy runs two similar sites, and an even grander facility in Wuyi that is described as (deep breath) the world's first million-level super-integrated battery gigafactory. In short, it's a single site that can produce just about every part of a battery, from the cell packs to the cooling cases - and it has a capacity of around two million complete units per year.

The expansion won't stop, either. Later this year, Stellantis will start to produce the Leapmotor B10 at its plant in Zaragoza, Spain, as part of broader deal that will involve hellping Vauxhall develop a new SUV. During our interviews, both Zhu and Xin decline to fully confirm reports that Leapenergy will open a battery plant in the city. But on a huge map of production facilities in the visitor centre of the Huzhou battery factory is a photo of the Zaragoza plant, saying that it will open this year with a capacity of around 200,000 units. Told you they were fast.

The all-in-one electric drive system factory is similarly dizzying in its scale and ambition, not least because it's barely opened and Leapmotor is already building another next door, with two more planned nearby. When complete, the site will be able to produce 3.5 million electric drive motors a year, including everything from the gears and shell casings to the main drivetrain components, that Stellantis will have access to.

Leapmotor's future

The goal is for Leapmotor to move beyond appealing on cost in Europe and to win buyers over through technology, particularly autonomous systems. And quickly: Xin estimates "you still need at least 10 years" to build a new brand in Europe, while noting that's quicker than when Japanese and Korean firms arrived in the 1980s and 1990s.

But the intent is clear. Zhu is friendly, softly spoken and uses an interpreter, which contrasts with his unbridled ambition. He highlights the rise of autonomous vehicles and says: "In three to five years, I believe cars will be totally different compared to today."

And that, feels Zhu, will lead to a changing of the guard. "It's similar to if you think of smartphones replacing traditional phones: all the brands that make traditional phones have disappeared already," he says. "To be one of the top 10 global car manufacturers, you need to sell around 3.5 million cars per year. In the future, I believe five or six of the top 10 will be Chinese companies."

Of course, while Leapmotor wants to crack that top 10, Stellantis - which sold 5.4 million vehicles in 2025 - is aiming to stay there. Can a partnership help an aggressive Chinese firm grow and shore up a global giant's defence of its market share? Leapmotor International is out to prove that's the case.

If at first you don't succeed, crack on

Leapmotor's first car, a two-seat sports car called the LP-S01, wasn't a sales smash. But the firm has invested heavily in developing its own manufacturing infrastructure and technology, including its own artificial intelligence chip.

Leapmotor's second model was the far more mass-market T03 city car and it's now rapidly filling out its line-up. There are the B10 and C10 SUVs that form the core of its UK offering, along with saloons (the not-for-Europe C01), hatchbacks such as the Lafa 5 (which will come to the UK as the B05), crossovers (the B03X) and even MPVs (the D99).

Testing a number of these models back to back on a circuit in China, it's notable how different many of them are in terms of size, approach and target market, despite their shared parts and design details. As our testing has shown, there is still work to be done before Leapmotor's cars attain the refinement of European rivals, but the sense is of a car firm not afraid to try a variety of approaches, unconstrained by expectations.

The world’s coolest police cars

Sat, 6 Jun 2026 18:37:09 +0100

Cop a load of these...

Not all drivers appreciate the sight of a police car behind them, but at least these will get your attention for the right reasons…

Imagine how much more interesting it would be if the roads were patrolled by Porsche 911s, or Audi R8s, or Honda NSXs?

Or a hot-hatchback like the Ford Escort RS Cosworth, pictured, which saw service in the UK? Well, the police in one part of the world or other have used all these cars, and a whole lot more, so take a look at these:

53: BMW i3 (USA)

Compact, agile and very eco, the BMW i3 has been adopted by numerous police forces around the globe for panda car work in urban environments. This is one of 100 electric i3s ordered by the Los Angeles Police Department, for urban patrols, at a cost of $2.9 million.

While the deal has done much for LA’s green credentials, the sand in the ointment is that Los Angeles is a large, sprawling conurbation, as you’d have thought someone might have noticed. It seems officers have found the 80-100 mile single-charge range a challenge, and so the i3s are not used as much as the department’s more conventional vehicles, and in 2020 many were sold off.

52: Nissan Fairlady Z Nismo (Japan)

The Fairlady Z is better known as the 350Z in most places outside Japan, and was the car that marked the company’s revival as maker of interesting cars after a near-death experience in the late 1990s. But this particular model is more notable still, as it’s the tuned up Nismo version. A significant number of them were placed into the service of the Tochigi Prefecture police force in central Japan in 2008.

This Nismo version only boosted the 304bhp 3.5-litre V6 up to 310bhp, but added delectable goodies including a Viscous Limited-Slip Differential (VLSD), uprated suspension, a new traction control system, a NISMO aerodynamics package, and Brembo brakes.

51: Dodge Coronet Police Car (USA)

Dodge’s first official police package was offered on the Coronet from 1956. The 1959 model, shown here, came with a 314bhp Hemi V8, push-button TorqueFlite automatic transmission and the distinctive, be-finned ‘Forward Look’ styling pioneered by its designer Virgil Exner.

“They go from standstill to highest pursuit speeds in a flash,” crowed an advertisement, “handle, corner and stop like no other car you’ve ever seen or driven.” The Coronet was one of many contemporary police models to feature in the popular TV series Highway Patrol.

50: Hummer H2 (USA)

A Texan sheriff didn’t want to have to drive a regular Hummer H2; he wanted something a whole lot meaner. So he commissioned German tuning company Geiger to uprate things by supercharging the 7.0-liter V8 to produce 710bhp and 667lb ft of torque – and to fit 28-inch wheels to make sure the car was as uncomfortable as it was fast.

49: BMW 501 (Germany)

Only Germany’s most highly trained traffic cops got to drive one of these ‘Baroque Angels’, with its 2.6-litre V8 (later a 3.2-litre V8). BMW did all of the work in-house, building each car specifically for Polizei use.

48: Prisoner barge (Italy)

OK, OK, we know it’s not a car. But we’re talking about Venice here, where police cars aren’t much use. This barge is used to cart the local police’s prisoners around.

47: Rover P6 3500S (Britain)

Rover offered 2.0- and 2.2-liter four-cylinder P6s, but it was the 3.5-litre V8, especially in 3500 S manual form, that was the perfect traffic car with its effortless highway performance. It was normally painted white, but the odd Zircon Blue car featured.

What’s interesting about this particular car? We drove it a few years ago and discovered that it’s armour plated, weighs 2000kg, and between 1973 and 1987 ferried around VIPs including members of the British royal family and then-prime minister Margaret Thatcher. Much of the boot was taken up with high-powered radio equipment.

46: Lamborghini Huracán (Italy)

The Italian traffic police were well known for their two Lamborghini Gallardos, one of which was wrecked in a high-speed pursuit. Undeterred by this small setback, the Carabinieri has replaced the remaining Gallardo with a Huracán, used for carrying urgent human organ donations in a refrigerated compartment in the nose.

45: Dodge Charger (Canada)

While North American police forces quite enjoyed using the somewhat villainous-looking Chrysler 300 sedan, they lapped up its sister car, the Dodge Charger. So much indeed that Dodge made a special Police specification model, later named ‘Pursuit’. The current Pursuit model features a 3.6-litre V6 good for 296bhp, and is available with all-wheel drive.

This particular example is in service with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, roughly the equivalent of America’s FBI.

44: Ford Mustang Special Service Package (USA)

The Mustang SSP is one of Ford’s best-known pursuit vehicles. Its high-output 5.0-litre V8 gave a 15.5-second quarter-mile time and helped it “chase Porsches for a living”, according to contemporary advertising (pictured). Rack-and-pinion steering, power disc brakes and heavy-duty stabilizer bars helped it keep the 911s in view.

Following an arduous test program, in 1982 the California Highway Patrol, as the launch customer, purchased 400 of the specially equipped Mustangs, with a planned service life of 18 months. Ford produced the Mustang SSP until 1993.

43: VW Beetle (Germany)

Another German police car favorite was the Volkswagen Beetle, which was to be seen in towns and cities nationwide. In 1970 Volkswagen tried to get British police forces to adopt the Beetle as their Panda car of choice – but they chose to stick with British marques instead.

42: Audi S3 (UK)

Nearly all unmarked police cars are cool, and we absolutely love small, hot unmarked police cars. This Audi S3 is used by Surrey Police in southern England for highway enforcement. The S3 features a four-cylinder 2.0-liter turbocharged engine producing 300bhp, whose blistering 0-62mph time of just 4.6 seconds must often come in useful.

41: Range Rover (UK)

The Range Rover was one of the most popular traffic patrol cars throughout the 1970s. Cheshire Constabulary was the first to buy some, in April 1971, soon after the vehicle first went on sale. It was equipped with the famous GM-designed compact alloy V8 engine, which in this application delivered 130bhp, which doesn’t sound much by modern standards. However, its 186lb ft of torque was capable of pulling a fully laden truck out of the way, which is why the police loved their Rangies.

40: Unimog (Germany)

First established back in 1948, Unimog is the famed go-anywhere all-wheel drive commercial brand of Mercedes-Benz. They’re widely used by fire and forestry departments, and come into their own in winter weather. This particular example is equipped with a front scoop, collecting equipment and signage in connection with policing the demonstrations during the G20 Hamburg summit held in 2017.

39: Bugatti Veyron (Dubai)

We don’t know how highly trained the Dubai police drivers are, but presumably they go through plenty of extra testing (and retesting) to get behind the wheel of one of the force’s two Bugatti Veyrons. The Veyron features a W16 engine with four turbochargers, belting out 1000bhp, and capable of a 253mph top speed. More than enough to keep Dubai’s boy racers in check, we presume.

38: Tesla Model S (Luxembourg)

Police vehicles tend to get very heavy usage compared to normal cars. After all, they spend most of their time out and about on patrol and responding to emergencies. As such, the limited range of many electric vehicles, combined with the amount of time needed to recharge them compared to the five minute fill-up of a normal car, would seem to make them less-than-perfect.

However, with a real-world range of around 250 miles, the Tesla Model S has one of the longest of any electric car. And they are also extremely fast. But the icing on the cake of this particular application is that Luxembourg is a small place (34 miles wide and 50 miles high at its extremes), so range is less of an issue than it might be elsewhere.

37: Daimler SP250 (UK)

London’s Metropolitan Police bought a big batch of these two-seater glassfiber-bodied sports cars for its traffic division. With each one powered by an incredibly flexible 2.5-liter V8, they were just the job for catching villains like bank robbers.

36: Buick Four Door Sedan (USA)

This 1935 Buick was adapted for police use with spotlights, gun ports and, most likely, bullet-proof glass, but Buicks of the period already came with safety glass – one of a number of engineering features that marked them out from the competition.

The straight-eight-powered 1935 models also boasted an accelerator starter and Knee Action independent front suspension. Knee Action was a pioneering design by one of the greatest names in vehicle dynamics, Maurice Olley. Having previously worked at Rolls-Royce, the Briton Olley would go on to develop the chassis and suspension of the C1 Corvette.

35: MGB (UK)

This is a standard 1.8-liter MGB GT, but in V8 form the B was a popular unmarked car as few drivers expected a two-seater sports car to be on patrol. One of the forces that used unmarked MGB GT V8s was Britain’s Thames Valley Police, which now has a base in part on MG’s old factory at Abingdon, 10 miles south of the city of Oxford.

34: Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio (Italy)

With a 2.9-liter V6 in the nose, the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio packs a 510bhp punch that’s enough to take it all the way to 191mph with 0-62mph available in all of 3.9 seconds. We’d say that’s quite a rapid response vehicle.

33: Datsun 240Z (Japan)

When Datsun launched the 240Z in Japan in 1971 there were three options: the regular hatch, the 240Z-L and the 240Z-G, pepped up to give a top speed of 131mph. Given away by its faired-in headlights, this 240Z-G served as a patrol car with the Kanagawa Prefecture Highway Police from March 1972, since when it’s racked up 370,940km (232,000 miles).

32: Chevrolet Camaro (United States)

This 1991 Camaro is still operated by the Michigan State Police and is located at its training academy at Dimondale. The cars were operated for high speed patrol duties, but this one is now in semi-retirement alongside a 1992 Ford Mustang and a 1995 Chevrolet Caprice.

31: Porsche 924 (Germany)

With its hatchback configuration the 924 offered practicality like no previous Porsche had been able to. It might not have been the fastest car on the road with its 2.0-liter engine, but the 924 handled superbly and was capable of keeping up with faster cars driven in desperation by criminals who lacked the driver training of the traffic cops.

30: Ferrari 250 GT/E (Italy)

In the early 1960s Italy’s criminals were getting increasingly speedy cars and the police’s Alfa 1600 and 2600s could barely keep up. Famous Rome ‘flying squad’ officer Armando Spatafora somehow persuaded the city to stump up for a couple of Ferrari 250 GTEs to try and even the odds. Power came from a 3.0-liter Colombo V12 good for around 237bhp. Despite training from Ferrari itself, one officer sadly wrecked one of them within weeks, leaving just one survivor, which plied its trade until 1968.

It then passed into private ownership. Today it’s the only private car in Italy with permission to take to the roads equipped with a siren, blue light and “Squadra Volante” livery. It was put up for sale in 2020.

29: Ford Mustang (USA)

Have we got room for another Mustang? You bet. Florida-based tuning company Steeda Autosport has been supplying marked and unmarked police cars for more than 20 years. Launched in 2016, the company’s Ford Mustang Interceptor could be ordered with or without livery – and with or without a supercharger. In normally aspirated form the 5.0-liter V8 pumps out 497bhp – and with a Whipple supercharger bolted on this rises to a very fruity 788bhp.

28: Nissan R34 Skyline GT-R (Japan)

Another high-speed Japanese police car, this time in the service of police in the Japanese province of Saitama, just north of Tokyo. It appears there’s only one in operation, sadly. The R34 was produced between 1999 and 2002, and is so celebrated that it’s widely known as ‘Godzilla’ – on account of its brutishly effective 2.6-liter twin turbo, good for 332bhp, 0-60 in 4.6sec and top speed of 156mph.

As all (non-police) cars in Japan are legally restricted to 112mph outside racetracks, this should be enough, we reckon.

27: Alpine A310 (France)

The roads of France were notably lethal in the 1970s - over 14,000 people were to die on them in 1976. This compared to 3398 deaths in 2023, when the country had 31 million more people in it and many million more cars. To combat the dire situation in the ‘70s, the French police resolved to crack down on speeding, bad driving and calm the general carnage with cars like this A310.

The French gendarmerie took delivery of seven A310s in 1977, and at least two of them are still in the force's private museum collection. Power came from a 150bhp 2.7-liter V6, which gave a 137mph top speed. A total of 9276 V6 A310s were built between 1976 and 1984.

26: Lexus IS F (UK)

Britain’s Humberside Police were quick to jump on the opportunities offered by the Lexus IS F, a car first launched in 2007. The car offered a 5.0-liter engine good for 422bhp and a 168mph top speed, but for Autocar readers the most interesting fact is that this was we believe the first V8-engined car in full-time UK police operation since the glory days of the Rover SD1’s 3500.

And the V8 must have come in handy, as the car had to cart around heavy extra equipment including a computer, four-way camera system and two radios. It was a command car for the force’s vehicle crime unit.

25: Rover SD1 (Britain)

The SD1 came in four- and six-cylinder forms and many British police forces used them for regular policing duties. But it was the 3.5-liter Buick-designed alloy V8 that was fitted to traffic division squad cars. It remains one of the country’s most-loved police cars, its hero status cemented by an event in May 1987:

One day two police Rover SD1 V8s were involved in a race against time to deliver a new liver organ donation from the runway at Stansted Airport, North East of London, to a desperately ill patient at a hospital in West London; police helicopters were grounded by discovery of a major engine fault.

Travelling down the M11 motorway at speeds of up to 120mph and then tearing through a heavily congested London on a Friday lunchtime, the 29-mile journey took just 31 minutes. The liver got to the hospital with just five minutes to spare; the patient was operated on, and she survived.

24: Humvee (USA)

Dearborn may be famous as the hometown of the Ford Motor Company, but that doesn’t mean all the vehicles in its police department fleet bear a blue oval. No, the fleet also includes this Humvee. We don’t know the exact story of how it came to be in the fleet, but it’s likely that it’s ex-military.

A lot of surplus military equipment found its way to America’s police departments during the 2010s as it was no longer needed after widespread troop withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan. Shuttered by GM in 2010, the Hummer nameplate has put in a reappearance on a range of GMC EVs.

23: Ford Capri 2.8i (UK)

A favorite with Greater Manchester Police, one cop, now retired, reminisces: “The Capri was ahead of its time as a pursuit vehicle, nothing could lose them. Superb when it was dry, but when it was wet – oh my god! The back end always came round, if you gave it too much gas as you went into a corner. In winter we would frequently take out equipment and put sandbags in to keep the back-end down”.

22: Porsche 356 (Netherlands)

Police forces across Europe used the Porsche 356 as a patrol car; these early Porsches were popular in Germany, Belgium and Holland, as well as Austria. This 356 was one of around 40 used by Dutch police. One of just three survivors, Bonhams sold it for a hefty €235k in October 2014.

21: Alpine A110

In 2021 Alpine produced a bespoke version of its A110 sports car specifically for rapid-response teams of the French gendarmerie. This arm of the French police famously used the original A110 model back in 1966 as a rapid response vehicle.

Each A110 is kitted out with a bespoke emergency service livery, reflective front and rear decals and a blue flashing light on its roof. The cars are equipped with the same 1.8-litre four cylinder engine as the standard car, producing 252bhp and 236lb ft of torque. Inside, the model gains a host of specialist equipment, including a police radio and a bespoke. And it looks awesome…

20: Highland Garron (Scotland)

Before the country’s police was unified, Scotland’s Northern Constabulary had the job of policing some of its most rural and rugged highlands and islands regions, including the tallest mountains to be found in the whole of the UK.

Previously equipped with elderly Snow Tracs, in 1982 the force took delivery of the Garron tracked ATV as pictured here. Records suggested it played a crucial role during the region’s often harsh winters, and assisted in many mountain rescues and assisting homeowners marooned by heavy snowfall. A cool machine indeed.

19: Ford RS200 (UK)

A genuine Group B rally hero, just 153 examples of the RS200 were built, each one packing a turbocharged BDA engine behind the cabin. Essex Police toyed with the idea of using RS200s as traffic cars, and we like to think they saw active service as a test for at least a short period, such is the immense cool factor of this car.

18: Subaru Impreza (UK)

Not all police forces chose to go with Cosworth-tuned Fords; some decided to add different high-performance cars to their fleet. In the case of Humberside Police it was the Subaru Impreza Turbo that was the weapon of choice....

17: BAC Mono (Isle of Man)

The Isle of Man, the UK crown dependency situated in the Irish sea, hosts the annual TT motorcycle race. It's a famously tough and dangerous race that takes place on public roads, and attracts bike fans from all the the world each summer.

In 2017, the local police took delivery of this 170mph 309bhp pocket supercar to try and keep order. Weighing just 580kg (1276 lb) and capable of 0-62mph in just 2.7 seconds, it’s perhaps the closest any road car gets to being a superbike. Its only driver has advanced-driver training, also rides a police motorcycle, and is also a collision investigator.

16: Segway (Germany)

With a top speed of 12.5mph, the two-wheeled self-balancing Segway scooter would seem to be a strange choice of police ‘car’. However, Segway released a special i180 Police package back in 2005, and Chicago ordered 100 of them in 2006. Segway followed it up with a police version of the i2 follow-up model.

They have been used for urban patrols during the 2008 Beijing Olympics and are thought to be in use by over 100 police agencies worldwide for use in environments like pedestrianized city centers, college campuses, airports and shopping malls.

15: Ford Sierra RS Cosworth (Britain)

With 150mph potential and four-wheel drive to help get the prodigious power down, the Cosworth-tuned Sierra was exactly what police forces needed to keep up with villains who had ever faster and more sophisticated get-away vehicles.

14: Ford Mustang Mach-E (UK)

As you've seen in this feature, EVs have started to be used by police forces in the past few years, as EVs have generally become more capable with the longer ranges that police patrol use often requires.

Several police forces in the UK have begun evaluation Ford's Mustang Mach-E Standard Range for police use. Promised performance of the new police car is startling: 0-62mph in 3.7sec and a top speed of 111mph. It's funny to think that one day nearly all police cars will be EVs, and we're just at the start of the process.

13: Honda NSX (Japan)

Famously engineered with the help of F1 star Ayrton Senna – whose McLaren race car was powered by Honda engines at the time – the mid-engined NSX remains one of Japan’s most celebrated sports cars. The NSX was sold as an Acura in North America, and this particular one was donated by Honda to the Tochigi Prefecture in central Japan and intended to chase modified street racing cars.

This first generation model was equipped with a 3.0-liter V6 which delivered 280bhp and a 168mhp top speed.

12: Renault Megane RS (France)

Not simply a PR stunt, the Gendarmerie’s Renault Megane RS is a common sight on French highways. Since 2011, Renault’s fastest and most powerful model has loaned its turbocharged four-cylinder engine to help law enforcement officials catch up to speeding drivers. The RS is certainly better suited to the job than a Peugeot Partner with a 90bhp turbodiesel engine, often the Gendarmerie’s usual ride these days.

Sadly, its days may be numbered. An unverified report claims the RS fleet is too expensive to maintain so Gendarmes will instead employ some of the high-horsepower machines they seize to catch bad guys instead, along with the new A110 as already seen.

11: Audi R8 (Portugal)

This car was first owned by Argentinian soccer star Ángel Di Maria. It seems a later owner – not connected with Di Maria - was a suspected drug dealer. Authorities in Portugal confiscated it in 2014 and instead of selling it as is usual, they decided to press the V8 supercar into service instead with the Polícia de Segurança Pública, a mostly urban police force.

10: Ford Escort RS Cosworth (Britain)

After the Sierra RS Cosworth came the Cossie-powered Escort, a rally car homologation special which featured a turbocharged 233bhp 2.0-liter engine; top speed was 150mph. This one was run by Northumbria Police in northern England. A total of 7154 Escort Cosworths were built between 1992 and 1996, and survivors are increasingly valuable.

9: Porsche 911 (964) (Netherlands)

A Porsche. Check. A 911. Check. A cabriolet. Check check. Yup, this Dutch police car is a cracker. The country’s national guard – the Rijkspolitie (literally ‘National police’) – was tasked with policing the country’s nascent highway system in the 1960s, when they didn’t have speed limits, and needed fast cars to to it with.

It eventually bought 507 Porsches of various shapes and sizes, including this marvellous 911 964 Cabriolet. Sadly the force was abolished in 1993 and by the looks of things, the days of Dutch police Porsches are now behind us. Shame.

7: Suzuki Jimny (Italy)

The previous Jimny was in production for nearly 20 years and pretty much had the market for tiny go-anywhere SUVs to itself in the markets it was sold in. A new model arrived in 2018 and was even tinier, but with funkier looks and a much-improved interior.

Hats off to Italy’s Carabineri for taking delivery of the model for its fleet, where it will doubtless come in handy in the numerous mountainous parts of the country. We hope they bought a few though; strict fleet emissions rules that its time on the European market was a very short one, sad to say.

6: Porsche 911 Targa (Austria)

The first Porsche-badged cars were made in Austria, so it's perhaps fitting that the country's gendarmerie used the 911. As with the 356 that came before, the Dutch, Belgian, German and Austrian police all had 911s on their highway patrol fleets.

This 911T Targa is unusual in that it features a rear windscreen wiper; let's hope the third cop in the picture has his own transport; the 911 isn’t ideal for carrying three policeman-sized adults...

5: Ferrari 458 Italia (Czech Republic)

Like many police forces, those in the Czech Republic regularly confiscate smart cars bought by crooks with ill-gotten gains. They are usually sold and the proceeds returned to the government, but in this case this 2011 Ferrari, originally coloured red, was resprayed and converted into a police car for a cost of $11,000 or so in 2022.

The Czech authorities said that it will be used to chase stolen cars and curb illegal street racing – and only helmed by the forces most trusted and trained drivers. We reckon it would be an honour (almost) to be pulled over by such a vehicle…

4: Mercedes-Benz SLK (Bulgaria)

The SLK was a stylish and wildly popular cars at launch, but we can’t quite see why an SLK200 would find much to appeal to a police force. It only has two-seats, isn’t very fast, and has little carrying capacity for the kit most police cars cart around. Having said all that, we love it.

As this seems to be a one-off, as with other such cars in this story we can only assume it was confiscated from some unfortunate villain and press-ganged into more wholesome service.

3: Ford Cortina Lotus Mk2 (UK)

Some police forces used the original Lotus Cortina and while the second take on Ford’s hot sedan never captured the imagination like its predecessor, the Cortina Lotus Mk2 is still a very lovely (and swift) thing with its 1.6-litre twin-cam Lotus engine.

2: BMW Isetta (Germany)

Not all of Germany’s police were lucky enough to get into one of the V8-powered BMW sedans we saw earlier; most had to drive around in one of these titchy panda cars instead, with a 298cc two-cylinder engine. Fast, no. Notable, definitely.

1: Alpine A110 (France)

The new Alpine A110 police car is pretty darned cool but... Autocar’s most interesting police car, is still… the original Alpine A110. Not only do we love the car, but we also adore every aspect of this old school photo. The French Gendarmerie acquired a small number of A110s in 1966 when the government enacted strict speed limits and politely asked they be enforced as laws, not general suggestions.

The Gendarmerie deployed the A110 to catch speeding drivers who either hadn’t gotten the message or didn’t take it seriously. Power came from a 1296cc 4-cylinder engine, producing 125bhp. The lightness of the car - just 770kg (1694 lb) - ensured sprightly performance for the time; 0-60mph took 8.2 seconds, with a top speed of 134mph. Probably annoyed by the coupe’s cramped cabin, the force later added Citroën SMs to its high-speed fleet in the early 1970s. The original A110 was produced between 1961 and 1977; 8201 examples were built. Renault acquired Alpine in 1973.

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How the Daewoo Matiz began life as a Fiat concept

Sat, 6 Jun 2026 16:00:00 +0100

Originally pitched as a variant of the Fiat Cinqeucento, this cute city car was an unlikely success

It probably wasn’t the outcome that Paolo Cantarella had banked on.

Back in 1991, Fiat Auto’s car enthusiast boss launched a design competition especially for Italian coachbuilders. The idea was that they would produce an assortment of concept cars based on the then new Fiat Cinquecento, the neatly squared-off version released that year.

Cantarella’s aims were multiple. The designs would draw more attention to Fiat’s smallest. They’d provide a boost for Italy’s fading coachbuilding industry. And their Turin motor show reveal would be a useful extra draw for a once important Italian industry showcase that was rapidly losing relevance.

Cantarella’s laudable initiative unleashed nine full-sized designs, some instantly recognisable as Cinquecento derivatives, others bearing no visual relation to it at all. The most desirable of these was Bertone’s two-seat roofless Rush concept, the least perhaps Boneschi’s worthily rustic baby taxi.

Stola, Coggiola, IDEA, Maggiora, Pininfarina, Zagato and Italdesign all reworked Fiat’s new baby. The most outlandish was a Cinquecento of drastically narrowed upper body, allowing a bicycle to be carried alongside a slender cabin containing tandem seating for two. That was the work of Zagato and another solid score in this famous coachbuilder’s quest for the weird. Pininfarina’s near-useless pick-up truck was perhaps the lamest effort, but the most subtly mature car, and the prettiest, was Italdesign’s Lucciola.

Prettier, indeed, than the rigidly rational lines of the car on which it was based. A mildly curvy three-door hatch, like the Cinquecento, the Lucciola had twin folding fabric roofs that removed the rear window.

Very presciently, it was propelled by an electric motor supplemented by a small, diesel engine. Here was a range-extending hybrid, years before the BMW i3.

All of which made the Fiat it was based on look like yesterday’s car. And since the Cinquecento had only just been launched, Fiat was hardly going to scrap it in favour of this attractive machine.

But the Lucciola did see production. Italdesign hawked the design about until it was taken up by Daewoo, the budget South Korean brand that in Britain sold its cars cheaply and at fixed prices in an effort to attract customers deterred by the gruesome business of negotiating with salesmen.

The Matiz was one of Daewoo’s more savoury offerings, this city car’s modest price and aspirations prompting any driver to expect less of it. It was also one of Daewoo’s better-looking cars, even though it took six years for the original Italdesign concept to make production.

The Lucciola’s round-eyed headlights and steep sloping bonnet survived largely intact, as did the subtle sculpting of the Fiat’s flanks, shaped to reference those of the original 1957 500.

Gone was the double-section sliding fabric roof and the mildly wild interior, the body gaining an extra pair of doors instead. That made the Matiz one of the few city cars to offer such convenient boarding. Most rival city cars, such as the Ford Ka and Seat Arosa, provided only two passenger doors.

It was also one of the first Daewoos that wasn’t heavily based on a discarded Vauxhall-Opel design, which allowed it to appear contemporary, unlike the rest of the Daewoo range.

Handling? It had some, although one magazine’s discovery that reversing and simultaneously giving the steering wheel a bold jerk could fell a Matiz did little for its reputation among those who read about cars.

For the bulk who didn’t read the scribblings of motoring hacks, such failings were irrelevant, especially as such reverse-gear topplings could be achieved with other narrow-tracked, high-roofed vehicles too.

The Daewoo’s noisily dawdling performance provided plenty of time to ponder the merits of your keenly priced machine, 60mph coming into view after the passage of 17 throbbing, three-cylinder seconds, but in the cityscapes for which it was intended, this mattered little.

Certainly not to the almost 60,000 people who bought one, plenty of whom might otherwise have acquired a Fiat Cinquecento. Not ideal for Fiat’s Cantarella, then, who chose not to make any of the concepts his competition had sired.

And the Turin show? It staggered on for eight more years until 2000, before being revived as an outdoor public festival in 2015, an event more about selling road cars than igniting concept car-fuelled dreams.

The decline of Italy’s coachbuilders persisted, as most major car makers, Fiat included, hugged the design process close and in-house.

Still, if you want a Daewoo Matiz – surely fine Festival of the Unexceptional fodder – you’ll need to move fairly swiftly. Of the 59,000-odd sold here, few survive. Still, they’re now so cheap that you could try modding one to make it look more like a Lucciola. Although I could think of better ways of blowing your time.

The brilliant car designs of Giorgetto Giugiaro

Sat, 6 Jun 2026 07:31:28 +0100

Giorgetto Giugiaro has designed more big-selling cars than anybody else – and lots of niche models too. These are just some of the highlights

He's been called the most influential car designer of all time

Giorgetto Giugiaro entered his work into a student exhibition in 1955, where it was spotted by Fiat's technical director Dante Giacosa; the rest as they say is history. Let's see all the amazing designs he's come up with over the past few decades; some are stand-out rare, and some are common; and you might even drive one of his cars yourself:

Slideshow story - click right-hand arrow above to continue

Gordon-Keeble GT (1960)

This is where it all started; with a British car that’s pretty much unknown thanks to just 100 examples having been built between 1964 and 1967.

Powered by a 5.4-litre Corvette V8, the Gordon Keeble featured a glassfibre bodyshell on a steel chassis. Virtually all of the cars built survive, thanks to an enthusiastic owners’ club.

Ferrari 250 GT SWB Bertone (1960)

Six years after Ferrari first opened its doors for business it launched the 250, so named because each of the 3.0-litre V12's cylinders displaced 250c.

There was a huge array of variations on the 250 theme but one of the most sought after is the 250GT SWB, so called because its wheelbase was shortened by 200mm to improve agility and cut weight. Created primarily as a racer, some road-going cars were also built.

BMW 3200 CS (1961)

The first BMW to feature the brand's famous Hofmeister Kink, named after the company's then head of design Wilhelm Hofmeister, it was actually Giugiaro who adopted the design feature on behalf of BMW, while he was working for Bertone.

He wasn't the first to use it though as Lancia had used it several years before.

Iso Rivolta IR 300 (1961)

It's hardly what you could call a looker but the intriguing Rivolta was one of the most capable GTs of the 1960s. Powered by a 5340cc Corvette V8, just like the Gordon Keeble, the Rivolta was designed by Giugiaro when he was working for the Bertone design studio - with which he would later be in competition.

Aston Martin DB4 GT Bertone 'Jet' (1961)

You'd be hard-pressed to argue that the Aston Martin DB4 GT was in need of visual improvement but Bertone gave it a go, with Giugiaro getting the gig.

Incredibly, despite being a one-off the Jet was bodied in steel so it weighs more than the donor car - which wasn't ideal considering it was created for the race track.

ASA 1000 GT (1962)

Enzo Ferrari toyed with the idea of creating a small sports car in the early 1960s and the ASA 1000 GT was the result.

Powered by a 1.0-litre four-cylinder engine that was effectively a third of a 3.0-litre Ferrari V12, the ASA's chassis also borrowed design elements from the 250 GTO. But Ferrari decided to stick with his full-fat supercars and instead the project was made independently.

Simca 1000 Coupé (1962)

Giugiaro was still wearing his Bertone hat when he came up with this pretty little coupé that came initially with a 944cc engine but was upgraded to a 1204cc unit in 1967.

While the early cars topped out at just 87mph, the later ones could get all the way to 105mph.

Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT (1963)

In 1962 Alfa Romeo launched its rather boxy 105-Series Giulia saloon and it was Giugiaro's job to sex things up a bit with a two-door edition.

That arrived in 1963 in the form of the Giulia Sprint GT with a 1570cc all-alloy twin-cam engine. Later would come 1.3-, 1.8- and 2.0-litre engines, the latter two in the Sprint GTV, also penned by Giugiaro.

Mazda Familia (1963)

You can't accuse Giugiaro of slacking when he was at Bertone - they certainly got their money's worth.

Having launched with its first (kei) car in 1960, Mazda moved upmarket three years later with this small family saloon and estate with four-cylinder engines between 782cc and 987cc.

Iso Grifo (1963)

There's been no shortage of European supercars and grand tourers over the years, built with the help of American motive power - and the Iso Grifo is one of the most enigmatic of the lot.

Powered by Chevrolet or Ford V8s, early Grifos got a 5.4-litre unit but from 1970 a mighty 7.5-litre unit was fitted, rated at 395bhp.

Alfa Romeo Canguro (1964)

When Alfa Romeo wanted to build a low-volume TZ-based sports car in the 1960s it gave both Pininfarina and Bertone a TZ chassis and told them to come up with something; the Canguro was Bertone's creation, penned by Giugiaro.

Powered by a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine the car looked gorgeous but Alfa got cold feet and never put either proposal into production.

Innocenti 186 GT (1964)

This stillborn sports car was the result of a collaboration between Innocenti and Ferrari. The plan was to build a compact 2+2 coupé with a 1.8-litre V6 mounted in the nose and driving the rear wheels.

The car was developed and pretty much ready for production when everything went belly up, leaving just two cars made - one of which survives.

Fiat 850 Spider (1965)

The Fiat 850 was one of the most popular small family cars in Italy during the second half of the 1960s, but most were saloons.

Some were coupés while others were seven-seat people carriers (yes, really!) - and there was this, a neatly designed convertible officially designed by Bertone but actually styled by Giugiaro.

Mazda Luce (1966)

Throughout the 1960s Mazda continued its quest to move upmarket, with the Luce arriving in 1966. Initially available only with a 1.5-litre engine, by the end of 1968 there was also a 1.8-litre option.

Within a year there would also be a rotary-powered Luce - the only Wankel-powered Mazda to feature front-wheel drive.

De Tomaso Mangusta (1966)

Designed by Giugiaro when he was working for the Italian styling house Ghia (later bought by Ford), the Mangusta was the predecessor to the far more high-profile Pantera.

As with that later car the Mangusta featured a Ford V8 which provided a top speed of somewhere around 160mph.

Maserati Ghibli (1966)

Maserati has produced three different Ghiblis over the past half-century or so but this one is the original and by far the most beautiful.

Named after a hot, dry wind in the Libyan desert, the Ghibli was another car designed by Giugiaro when he was working for Ghia. In the nose was a 4.7-litre V8, later increased to 4.9 litres.

Fiat Dino Coupé (1967)

Whereas Pininfarina was responsible for designing the Fiat Dino Spider, the Dino coupé was penned by Bertone - and specifically Giugiaro when he was an employee.

Powered by the same 2.0-litre (later 2.4-litre) V6 as the Ferrari Dino, the identically named Fiat has become hugely collectible in recent years.

Isuzu 117 Coupé (1968)

Launched in the late 1960s, the Isuzu 117 survived right the way through to the early 1980s, albeit with a significant facelift in 1977.

Front-engined and rear-wheel drive, the 117 came with 1.6-, 1.8- or 2.0-litre petrol engines - or a 2.2-litre diesel.

BMW Spicup concept car (1969)

Blending the characteristics of a spider and coupé (hence SpiCup), this BMW 2500-based concept was first seen on the Bertone stand at the 1969 Geneva motor show.

Sold off then used as a daily driver, the Spicup languished in a barn for two decades before it was completely restored in 2011 and sold for €460,000.

Lotus Esprit (1972)

One of the all-time landmark car designs, the original Esprit was made famous as a Bond car on two occasions; an S1 featured in The spy who loved me while in For your eyes only there was an Essex Esprit Turbo.

Always powered by four-cylinder engines, it wasn't until 1996 that a V8 Esprit was available, almost a decade after the car had been redesigned by Peter Stevens.

Maserati Merak (1972)

A development of the V8-powered Maserati Bora that Giugiaro also designed, the Merak featured a mid-mounted V6 engine that displaced either 2.0 or 3.0 litres.

Competing with the Lamborghini Urraco and Ferrari 308GT4 (both of which arrived later), the Merak lasted right the way through until 1983, by which time almost 2000 examples had been made.

Hyundai Pony (1975)

First shown at the Turin motor show in October 1974, by 1975 the Hyundai Pony was being made in quantity - it was Korea's first mass-produced car.

It was also the first Korean car to be sold in the UK, although it wouldn't arrive here until 1982. Power came from 1.2-, 1.4- or 1.6-litre petrol engines.

Suzuki Cervo (1977)

The Suzuki Cervo, also sold as the SC100 or Whizzkid, was such a neat design that elements of it were borrowed for the new Ignis that launched in 2016.

Created to comply with Japan's kei car regulations, the Cervo came with engines ranging from 539cc to 970cc.

Zastava Yugo (1977)

Universally pilloried and poorly made, the Zastava Yugo wasn't a high spot in the history of the car but there's no denying that it provided affordable transport for hundreds of thousands of people around the globe.

Sold across Europe and the US, the Yugo carried an array of monikers including the Koral, Ciao, Tempo and GV; by the time the final car was made after more than two decades, almost 800,000 had been built in hatchback and convertible forms.

FSO Polonez (1978)

In production for the thick end of two decades, the FSO Polonez grew out of a Fiat safety car project from 1970, although production didn't start until 1978.

Poverty-spec models got a 1.3-litre petrol engine but power junkies could buy a 2.0-litre petrol engine, while there were also a couple of diesel engines offered.

Lancia Delta (1979)

It's easy to forget that the Integrale was actually sired by a more prosaic hatch that has now largely disappeared. Winner of the 1980 European Car of the Year, the Delta later became available as the Saab 600 in a joint venture between Lancia and Saab; few were made and they’re now even rarer than the Lancia-badged Delta.

Volkswagen Jetta (1979)

While the first-generation Golf sold like hot cakes, in most markets buyers weren't so keen on the Jetta thanks to its reduced practicality.

Effectively a booted Golf, the Jetta came with the same engine choices as its sibling which meant petrol engines from 1.1 to 1.8 litres and - unusually for the time - the option of a diesel engine as well.

Maserati Quattroporte III (1979)

The original Quattroporte was designed by Pietro Frua while Marcello Gandini penned the ultra-rare Quattroporte II. For the third iteration Giugiaro was asked to come up with something; this boxy saloon was the result.

Not one of his finest designs, all Quattroporte IIIs had a V8 engine; production lasted from 1979 until 1990.

Fiat Panda (1980)

Created in the same mould as the Citroen 2CV, the Fiat Panda was a no-frills economy car that was offered with the 652cc air-cooled two-cylinder engine taken from the Fiat 126.

More popular though was the 903cc water-cooled four-pot. These early Pandas have become very collectible, especially in 4x4 form - they're capable of tackling astonishingly tough terrain.

Fiat Uno (1983)

With almost nine million examples made over more than two decades, the Uno is one of the biggest-selling cars ever created. Launched by Fiat in 1983, the Uno was also made in North and South Africa, South America and Asia, with a huge array of different petrol and diesel engines fitted.

Lancia Thema (1984)

Now largely forgotten, the Lancia Thema was the original Type 4 car, alongside the Saab 9000, Alfa Romeo 164 and Fiat Croma.

Of the four cars in the project, only one wasn't designed by Giugiaro; the Alfa Romeo was penned by Pininfarina which also came up with a design for the Thema estate. Most Themas were nice enough if not especially interesting - until the 8.32 arrived with a 3.0-litre V8.

Saab 9000 (1984)

For Saab's most luxurious car yet, Giugiaro teamed up with the Swedish company's Bjorn Unvall to create a rather neat saloon and hatchback - but there wouldn't be an estate version.

Although the 9000 was supposed to share many of its parts with the other Type 4 cars, in reality virtually nothing was interchangeable thanks to Saab wanting its car to achieve much higher safety standards than its partners’.

Seat Ibiza (1984)

SEAT built its first car in 1953 but it wouldn't be until 1984 that it produced its own model; until now they were all Fiat cast offs.

The Ibiza marked the start of a new chapter for SEAT with its Porsche-fettled engine (on some models) and an ultra-modern five-door hatchback design.

Fiat Croma (1985)

Pretty much forgotten now, and laregly extinct, the Croma was Fiat's part in the Type 4 project.

Fiat's first large car to feature front-wheel drive and a transversely mounted engine, the Croma came with petrol or diesel power including - in the case of the former - V6 and turbocharged four-cylinder units giving up to 158bhp.

Renault 19 (1988)

Here's a blast from the past, and one that's now pretty much disappeared altogether. Taking over where the Renault 9 and 11 left off, the 19 came in hatchback or convertible forms while saloon fans could buy the Chamade.

The latter is now especially rare, with less than a couple of dozen still in use on UK roads; there are fewer than 300 Renault 19s of all types still in use.

Italdesign Aztec (1988)

One of the more left-field concepts, the Aztec went into limited production although just a handful were made. With no weather protection and separate cockpits for the driver and passenger, the Aztec was powered by a turbocharged five-cylinder Audi engine although bizarrely, the four-wheel drive transmission was taken from the Lancia Integrale.

Seat Toledo (1991)

As with so many family cars of the early 1990s, the Seat Toledo wasn't exactly a high point in car design, but it was inoffensive enough.

On sale throughout the 1990s, this original Toledo was based on the Golf Mk2 which meant a choice of 1.6-, 1.8- or 2.0-litre petrol engines or there was a 1.9 diesel.

Lexus GS (1993)

When Lexus came up with an executive car to take on the established premium brands, Giugiaro decided that a simplified design was the key, and that's exactly what he came up with.

Sold as the Toyota Aristo in its home market, the original Lexus GS came only with six- or eight-cylinder engines and four- or five-speed automatic transmissions.

Seat Córdoba (1993)

The Cordoba has never been a big success for Seat in the UK, but it's sold better in European countries where small saloons are more popular.

Sharing the same platform as the Polo and Ibiza, buyers could choose between coupé, saloon and estate variations on the theme.

Lamborghini Calà (1995)

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s Lamborghini offered junior supercars with V8 power; the Urraco, Silhouette and Jalpa.

By the 1990s it was V12 power all the way, but it could have been different as the fully driveable V10-engined Cala was unveiled in 1995. But the funds weren’t there to develop the car and the project was shelved.

Volkswagen W12 (1997)

For a while VW seriously considered putting this W12-powered mid-engined supercar into production, but with the Veyron and various Lamborghinis to develop, plus the Audi R8, it didn't happen.

First came a 414bhp coupé followed by a roadster version of the same car. Then in 2001 came the most extreme W12 yet: a 591bhp Nardo edition which claimed an array of speed records, including covering 4809.8 miles in 24 hours at an average speed of 200.6mph.

Daewoo Matiz (1997)

First seen as the Fiat Cinquecento-based Lucciola design study, the Daewoo Matiz may not have been exciting but it was a neatly styled city car created to provide minimalist transport.

Engines ranged from 0.8 to 1.2 litres with the car wearing a diverse array of badges including Chevrolet, Pontiac and FSO.

Seat León (1998)

Even now, 20 years after it was unveiled, the original Seat Leon still looks modern and appealing. Offered only as a five-door hatch, the Leon Mk1 used the same PQ34 platform as the Golf Mk4, A3 and TT Mk1 along with the new Beetle and first-generation Skoda Octavia.

Maserati 3200 GT (1998)

Most famous for its boomerang-shaped LED rear lights, the 3200 GT marked a welcome return of Giugiaro design to the Maserati brand.

After many years in the doldrums, Maserati desperately needed the 3200 GT to revive its fortunes, which it did reasonably well; almost 5000 were made in a four-year production run. Each was powered by a twin-turbo 3.2-litre V8.

Alessandro Volta (2004)

Only ever intended to be a concept, the Alessandro Volta was named after the Italian Physicist who invented the battery. The name alluded to the car's motive power; a petrol/electric hybrid powertrain borrowed from the Lexus RX400h which combined a 3.3-litre V6 with two electric motors.

With 402bhp on tap, the drive-by-wire carbonfibre-bodied concept could top 155mph and do 0-62mph in just four seconds.

Alfa Romeo 159 (2004)

Working in conjunction with Alfa Romeo’s Centro Stile design studio, Giugiaro came up with something of a masterpiece with the 159, a car that looked so much sharper than most of its contemporaries.

Buyers could choose between saloon and estate configurations and while top dog was a 3.2 V6 edition, sadly there was no 159 GTA.

Ferrari GG50 (2005)

There's a big clue in the name of this one; it was created to celebrate 50 years of Giorgetto Giugiaro designing cars. Based on a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti and first shown at the 2005 Tokyo motor show, the GG50 featured a 540bhp 5748cc V12, a hatchback along with a 2+2 seating configuration.

Fiat Grande Punto (2005)

At a time when small cars were all looking like homogenous blobs, Fiat came up with this brilliantly styled supermini that looked like a miniaturised Maserati.

Still in production in India, the Grande Punto morphed into the Punto Evo in 2009 when it was given a facelift.

M1 Homage Concept (2008)

BMW unveiled the mid-engined gull-wing Turbo concept in 1972; six years later the M1 arrived, using much the same design but with a naturally aspirated engine - for road cars at least.

Thirty years after the M1 appeared, BMW came up with this tribute to its first mid-engined production car. It wasn’t a runner though.

Techrules Ren (2018)

Showing that he's still very much at the sharp end of car design, in 2018 Giugiaro's latest confection was unveiled, the Techrules Ren. This Chinese hypercar aims to be the world's first turbine-powered car.

When combined with a lithium-ion battery pack driving two, four or six electric motors there's anything up to 1287bhp available, along with 1725lb ft of torque - giving a 199mph top speed and 0-62mph time of 2.5 seconds.

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21 controversial models from famous car manufacturers

Sat, 6 Jun 2026 07:30:32 +0100

Unreliable, ugly or both, these cars stood out in the worst possible way

Even the most successful car companies miss the mark.

We can think of many instances in which car firms (usually cash- or time-strapped) fumbled as they attempted to replace a popular model. Sometimes they got ahead of themselves by trying to fill a niche that didn’t exist yet – and that, in some cases, was never created. The resulting models asked more questions than they answered and they stood out like a puddle of engine oil on a red carpet.

Here, then, are some of the largest misfits from the automotive world. Some of these cars will remain unloved for decades to come while others have become more enticing as they’ve aged:

Jeep: Willys-Overland Jeepster (1948)

Jeep parent company Willys-Overland worried suburbia-dwelling motorists wouldn’t buy a bare-bones, four-wheel drive off-roader like the CJ-2. It launched a more road-focused model named Jeepster in 1948 to lure a new set of buyers into showrooms. Offered only with rear-wheel drive and a small amount of ground clearance, the Jeepster was presented as a luxurious roadster; it was the exact opposite of the CJ-2.

Buyers who visited a Jeep showroom wanted a four-wheel drive vehicle so they completely ignored the Jeepster. Those who would have been interested in the model likely didn’t know it existed because Willys did a poor job of advertising it. Production ended after the 1950 model year though leftover examples were sold through 1951. Jeep made less than 20,000 examples of the original Jeepster. It resurrected the nameplate in 1966 as an alternative to the International-Harvester Scout.

Chevrolet: Corvair (1959)

The Corvair should have become one of Chevrolet’s best-selling cars during the 1960s. Released in 1959, it was a rear-engined alternative to the Volkswagen Beetle that was available in a wide variety of body styles including a coupe and a convertible. Buyers could even order a high-performance turbocharged model. Safety advocate Ralph Nader damned the Corvair in his 1965 book Unsafe at Any Speed. The title said it all: Nader argued the Corvair’s swing axle rear suspension made it highly dangerous and accident-prone.

The second-generation Corvair received an independent rear suspension but the damage to its reputation was already done. Chevrolet stopped production in 1969 and never made another rear-engined model (partly because the layout’s popularity had started to wane).

Volkswagen: K70 (1970)

Volkswagen purchased NSU in 1969. The deal included all of the firm’s intellectual and physical property. What officials in Wolfsburg really wanted was NSU’s production capacity; they had no interest in the troublesome, voodoo-like Wankel technology that powered the Ro80 and they even canceled a mid-range four-door model named K70 that was mere months away from its market launch. Volkswagen executives back-pedaled and gave the K70 the green light for production under one strict condition: NSU couldn’t have it.

Though it was developed entirely by NSU, the K70 made its debut in 1970 wearing a Volkswagen badge. It was the company’s first front-engined, water-cooled model and it was one of the more forward-thinking cars in its segment. And yet, it struggled to find its spot in the Volkswagen range. Entry-level examples overlapped with the rear-engined, rear-wheel drive 412 and upmarket variants competed in the same class as the Audi 100. Only about 210,000 examples of the K70 had found a home by the time production ended in 1975. By that point, NSU was dying a slow death.

Ford: Pinto (1971)

The Pinto sub-compact took Ford into a class of the American new car market it had never been present in. As the company’s entry-level model, it competed against a growing list of value-packed economy cars imported from Japan and Europe. However, the fuel tank on the Pinto was positioned between the Pinto’s rear bumper and its rear axle.

It could get punctured during a rear-end collision, even one at relatively low speed. The Mercury Bobcat – a badge-engineered Pinto – suffered from the same problem. The company’s resulting legal troubles became increasingly serious and it ultimately caved. In 1978, Ford launched what was then the largest recall campaign in American history when it asked 1.5 million Pinto and Bobcat owners to get their car fitted with a protective shield and a modified fuel filler neck.

Ford: Mustang II (1974)

Still feeling the shockwaves of the 1973 oil crisis, Ford developed the Mustang II with an eye on fuel economy, not performance. It also chose to build the model on a version of the Pinto’s platform in a bid to make it smaller and lighter than the original.

This turned the once-mighty Mustang a shadow of its former self and the transformation nearly squashed the nameplate. The Mustang II wasn't offered with a V8 when it went on sale in 1974 and its top-spec engine was a V6 with 171hp on tap. In comparison, the original Mustang offered up to 271hp in its first year on the market.

Triumph: TR7 (1975)

The TR7 shamefully ended Triumph’s heritage-laced line of fun-to-drive, attainable sports cars. Its love-it-or-hate-it wedge-shaped design wasn’t completely out of line with the styling trends of the 1970s. Looks alone didn’t kill the TR7; appalling reliability did. It took Triumph a few years to figure out how to build the TR7 reliably. By the time it did, and by the time it added a convertible to the line-up, the model’s reputation was already trashed and there was no hope left of recovering it.

Production of the TR7 (and the later, US-focused, V8-powered TR8) ended in 1981. Triumph closed in 1984.

Porsche: 924 (1976)

The 924 came to life as a joint project between Porsche and Volkswagen. The former needed a car to replace the 914 and the latter wanted a range-topping coupe. Volkswagen decided not to move forward with the project and instead released the Golf-based Scirocco. Porsche had to replace the 914 so it purchased the 924 project from Volkswagen and finished it on its own.

It was too late to weed out the Volkswagen roots. The 924 launched with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine shared with the Audi 100 and the Volkswagen LT and a four-speed manual transmission borrowed from the Audi parts bin. Production took place in a former NSU factory located in Neckarsulm, Germany.

The 911 and the 924 occupied opposite ends of the same spectrum. Many argued the 924 wasn’t a real Porsche because it was front-engined, water-cooled and it gave off whiffs of Volkswagen-ness that anyone who got near it could smell. More powerful variants like the Turbo and the S later helped enthusiasts warm up to the model.

Ferrari: Mondial 8 (1980)

The Mondial 8 stood out as one of the most poorly-received cars ever to wear a Ferrari emblem. Critics complained the 214hp, 3.2-litre V8 that the 2+2 Mondial launched with wasn’t powerful enough. Those willing to accept its performance quickly realized they couldn’t take advantage of it as often as they wanted because the Mondial was plagued with mechanical and electrical problems.

Ferrari fixed many of the Mondial 8’s problems when it released the Mondial QV in 1982. The later variants of the car were quicker and better built than the early models.

Cadillac: Cimarron (1981)

Cadillac turned to Chevrolet for help in expanding its range in a bid to compete against increasingly popular European imports like the Saab 900 and the BMW 3 Series. What followed was one of the most egregious illustrations of badge-engineering. Released in 1981 as a 1982 model, the Cimarron was a posher Chevrolet Cavalier (a highly mediocre car to begin with) that offered, to Cadillac’s credit, a long list of standard equipment. It didn’t look, feel or drive like a Cadillac; even period ads referred to it as “Cimarron, by Cadillac” instead of the Cadillac Cimarron. It was the brand’s first four-cylinder car since 1914 and its first stick-shift since 1953.

Executives predicted they could sell 50,000 examples of the Cimarron annually but sales peaked at 25,968 during the 1982 model year. The model taught Cadillac a valuable lesson in badge-engineering. John Howell, a Cadillac executive during the 2000s, famously kept a photo of the Cimarron captioned “lest we forget” on his office wall.

Maserati: Biturbo (1981)

The Maserati Biturbo and its off-shoots should have gone down in history as one of the best-driving family cars of the 1980s. On paper, it victoriously placed Maserati's hallmark performance in a package that was smaller and more affordable than the Quattroporte.

The Italian firm lost the plot in the execution phase and it delivered one of the most unreliable cars it has ever made. Mechanical and electrical problems were frighteningly common, especially in early cars, and sales dropped when motorists realized what they were buying.

Alfa Romeo: Arna (1983)

The Volkswagen Golf’s success made government-owned Alfa Romeo green with envy during the late 1970s. The perennially cash-strapped firm couldn’t afford to develop a competitor from scratch so it teamed up with Nissan to enter the segment as quickly and cheaply as possible. The Arna was born in 1983 as a Nissan Cherry with an Alfa-specific grille and an Alfasud-sourced running gear.

Buyers who wanted a Nissan bought one, they didn't shop for an Alfa, and the Arna routinely missed its sales targets. Even the Ti variant felt more Japanese than Italian and it was overshadowed by the more expensive 33. Executives surprisingly considered updating the model during the late 1980s but Fiat immediately cancelled the project it when it took over Alfa in 1986.

Pontiac: Fiero (1984)

On paper, the Pontiac Fiero looked ready to give European and Japanese sports cars a run for their money. It was developed as an affordable mid-engined performance car in the vein of the Fiat X1/9. In application, early models were a disappointment. Pontiac saved money by using suspension components shared with some of the cheapest cars General Motors offered during the 1980s and fitted the Fiero with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine rated at 92hp. It didn’t handle or accelerate as well as its low-slung design suggested.

Adding insult to injury, early examples exhibited an alarming tendency to catch fire. Pontiac righted many of the Fiero’s wrongs for the 1988 model year but the changes came too late.

Cadillac: Allanté (1987)

In 1987, Cadillac seriously tried to end the Mercedes-Benz SL’s dominance over the luxurious, two-seater roadster segment by releasing its own high-zoot convertible named Allante. Pininfarina made Allante bodies in Turin, Italy, and shipped them to Detroit where Cadillac installed the running gear. Executives likely figured the Italian connection would give the Allante more prestige.

Cadillac charged $54,700 (about $140,0000 in today's money) for the Allante in 1987, the model’s first model year on the market. That year, the 560 SL cost $55,300.The Cadillac didn’t drive as well as the Mercedes because it had less power (170hp vs 238hp) and it was front-wheel drive. Early models also suffered from problems like a leaky convertible top. Annual sales only crossed the 4000-unit mark in 1993, the nameplate’s last model year on the market.

Lotus: Elan (M100) (1989)

Backed by General Motors, Lotus envisioned the M100-generation Elan as the car that would allow it to increase its presence in the United States. The roadster needed a sizable dose of mass-market appeal, which none of the company’s other models had, so engineers decided to make it front-wheel drive. It was the first, last and only front-wheel drive model in the company’s history.

Lotus enthusiasts gave the Elan a lukewarm reception. Some didn’t like the wedge-shaped styling while others were put off by the switch to front-wheel drive. The cheaper, rear-wheel drive Mazda MX-5 Miata put a spoke in the Elan’s wheel and sales remained upsettingly low, especially considering the substantial amount of money Lotus put into designing it. About 559 examples of the 3855 series-one Elans manufactured from 1989 to 1992 made it to America. The series-two model made in 1994 and 1995 was sold only in the UK.

In an unexpected twist of fate, Lotus sold the rights to the Elan to Kia which made about 1000 units of the roadster. From an image standpoint, it worked better as a Kia than as a Lotus.

Porsche: 911 (996) (1997)

Porsche made significant changes to the 996-generation 911 introduced in 1997 and most of them were not welcomed by enthusiasts. It looked different than its predecessors because it borrowed styling cues like L-shaped headlights from the smaller Boxster. It also sounded different due to a flat-six engine cooled by water rather than air. Problems with the IMS bearing cemented its reputation as the infeerior 911.

Emissions- and noise-related regulations forced Porsche to stay committed to water-cooling but the company gave the 997-generation 911 a design better aligned with tradition. Every 911 released since has been a careful evolution of its predecessor, not a revolution.

Fiat: Multipla (1998)

The original Fiat 600 Multipla released in 1956 divided the public’s opinion with its unconventional, function-over-form design. The born-again Multipla from 1998 was a lot less divisive; nearly everyone agreed it was nauseating to look at. Those who judged it by its ungainly sheet metal missed out on a cleverly-packaged interior with six real seats and a minivan-like amount of space. Stylists were clearly onto something when they started the development process but they pushed the design envelope too far.

Fiat gave the Multipla a thorough face-lift in 2004 and kept building it until 2010. It even influenced a competitor, the Honda FR-V, but it remained hugely controversial until the end of its production run.

Pontiac: Aztek (2000)

Our look at black sheep cars wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the Pontiac Aztek. It was previewed by a concept car in 1999 and, by most accounts, it should have remained as one. Think of it as Pontiac's Multipla. It was a surprisingly versatile car but buyers couldn’t look past its gruesome front end and its off-beat proportions. It retired without a direct successor in 2005 and Pontiac shut down in 2010.

If being misproportioned wasn’t bad enough, the Aztek suffered from an identity problem within the Pontiac line-up. It was made in an era during which the firm was trying to renew its image. It bridged the gap between the 1990s, when the automaker's line-up was as interesting as a toilet seat, and the 2000s, when it briefly tried to embrace all-out performance in a last-ditch effort to stay afloat. Buyers hadn’t caught crossover fever yet so no one knew what to make of Pontiac’s hatchback-SUV mash-up.

Renault: Avantime (2001)

Renault made the Avantime to explore what a two-door, upmarket variant of the Espace could look like. In hindsight, it was the answer to the question no one asked. From its leviathan-like proportions to its double-hinged doors, the Avantime was generally regarded as an example of what not to do when designing a car, not as a trend-setter like Renault envisioned.

The Avantime went on sale at about the same time as the four-door Vel Satis which confused potential buyers; which one was Renault’s true flagship? Sales were low and production ended after Matra – the firm who built it on behalf of Renault – closed its car-making division in 2003. Renault sold 8557 examples of the Avantime during a 22-month production run.

Jaguar: X-Type (2001)

Jaguar developed the X-Type while part of Ford’s Premier Automotive Group. Executives pictured a luxurious entry-level model aimed at the BMW 3 Series - the segment's gold standard at the time - and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class but they made the mistake of starting with an evolution of the front-wheel drive platform found under the Ford Mondeo. To make matters worse, they tried hiding the X-Type’s humble origins by launching it with a V6, four-wheel drive and no diesel engines in an era where volume came from four-cylinder engines, diesel engines (in Europe), and rear-wheel drive.

The X-Type was innovative - it was one of the first cars fitted with a touchscreen - but Jaguar ultimately released the wrong product, on the wrong architecture, at the wrong time. Its disappointing sales in Europe and in America reflected that.

Lincoln: Blackwood (2001)

The Navigator SUV sold exceptionally well so Lincoln wanted to repeat its success in the pickup truck segment. The firm also needed to fend off competition from rival Cadillac, whose Chevrolet Avalanche-based Escalade EXT had caught everyone by surprise when it broke cover in 2001.

Starting with a four-door Ford F-150, Lincoln added a Navigator-esque front end and installed a much nicer interior. So far, so good. Unfortunately, the Blackwood was only available with rear-wheel drive and it was useless as a truck because its carpet-lined cargo box was topped by a plastic tonneau cover. It could carry golf clubs, groceries but not much else.

In America, the Lincoln Blackwood was offered only during the 2002 model year. The Mexican market got it for the 2003 model year, too. Its failure didn’t discourage Lincoln, though. The company released another F-150-based pickup truck named Mark LT in 2005 which managed to briefly outsell the Escalade EXT before falling flat on its face. Lincoln left America’s pickup segment in 2008.

Aston Martin: Cygnet (2011)

In 2011, Aston Martin’s line-up stretched from the limited-edition, 750hp One-77 to an oddball city car named Cygnet. It was very evidently based on the Toyota iQ (sold as a Scion in America). Aston Martin admitted it re-badged Toyota’s smallest car to comply with fleet-wide CO2 regulations imposed by the European Union. While it received a more upmarket interior than the iQ could ever hope to offer, it kept Toyota’s 98hp 1.3-litre four-cylinder engine.

Ulrich Bez (pictured) was the boss of Aston Martin at the time and the company hoped to sell 4000 units of the Cygnet annually. Production ended in 2013 after the company produced less than 1000 examples. It has steered well clear of the city car class since the Cygnet’s demise.

How the RAF helped make Britain a sports car mega-power

Sat, 6 Jun 2026 07:00:00 +0100

What else to do with an abandoned airfield but make a world-class GP circuit or test track?

Why are the British so good at making sports cars?

It's a question put to me in an interview recently, to which a previous interviewee had said that, in times gone by (maybe even now), only the British would be barmy enough to stand in a small, cold shed and decide that a world-class small sports or racing car might roll out of the doorway.

I think there's a bit more to it than that, and that in creating what is today a world-leading array of companies, from niche sports car or component makers employing a handful of people to top-level racing conglomerates (10 of the 11 Formula 1 teams have their headquarters or significant operations in Britain), opportunities played their part too.

Weather is one of those opportunities. It's not so cold here in winter that standing in a shed with a little heater in the corner is beyond us; if it snowed consistently for six months of the year, we would go skiing. And it's not so warm that in summer you can't stand or drive around a disused airfield without melting; if it were, we would nap more.

Then there are those airfields. Since an Australian friend of mine once noted that "you guys are obsessed with the war" and I thought she might have had a point, I'm wary about how often I bring it up. But when it comes to the question 'what makes Britain a leading car racing nation?', World War II is impossible to ignore. Britain liked motorsport and sports cars before 1939, but it was afterwards that our global dominance became really established, because the war left plenty of facilities for use.

Pick a British race circuit or test track and I'd say there is as good a chance as not that it was once a wartime RAF base, later turned into a motorsport centre. As the launch site for the liberation of Europe, Britain had dozens of airfields which, when later disused, had inviting runways and perimeter roads.

In 2020, I wrote a feature about former RAF bases that could have become race circuits but didn't - and barely scratched the surface of it. In the late '40s, it wasn't always easy to get ministry permission to go racing but airfield perimeter roads and runways weren't in short supply.

When prospective racers first arrived at RAF Silverstone in 1947, having gained the land-owning farmer's permission for a weekend race meet, a man from the Air Ministry, which still technically ran the place, came and turfed them off. They quickly arranged to go to nearby Towcester race course instead, but within touching distance they could have also tried their luck at RAFs Bicester, Finmere, Upper Heyford, Croughton and more - and since then, three of those have hosted car testing. The racers returned to Silverstone - permission in hand - in 1948, and by 1950 it was hosting an F1 grand prix.

Post-war, aluminium was also plentiful, with an excess of it from scrap military aircraft (and a steel shortage) the primary reason that the Land Rover was developed with an aluminium body. Being light, available and easy to manipulate with hand tools, aluminium was the perfect material to introduce to a shed and plonk on top of, say, an Austin 7 chassis.

And yes, the Austin 7: let's not understate its importance either. It popularised motoring in the '20s and '30s and was winning races even then. As early as 1939, the 750 Motor Club was established "to promote sporting use of the Austin 7".

Being small, cheap, light and built in large numbers, there was ample supply of its simple, A-shaped chassis. It's what Lotus founder Colin Chapman first used to make racing specials (without the Austin, there would today be no Caterham). And 7 Specials are still a big part of the '750' scene today. I've had as much fun racing a 7 as I have anything, and many of the biggest names in motorsport history cut their teeth on 7s.

Just barmy people in sheds, then? Maybe, but you can find those the world over. Every species needs a habitat in which to thrive - and for the fast car enthusiast, Britain has had plenty of it.

Exclusive: Testing Renault's top secret new cars - with the firm's boss

Sat, 6 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0100

We join for the most important day in Renault's calendar, as all the bosses check out what's coming next

When François Provost, a distinguished Renault Group director of vast experience but low profile, suddenly succeeded Luca de Meo as CEO in July last year, there was no suggestion that he would be bothered about trying to mirror de Meo's well- chronicled star quality or instinct for headlines.

Whereas de Meo was a kind of troubadour car boss who has specialised in orchestrating car company revivals across Europe - and in ensuring his achievements were well and truly on the record - Provost (chosen in preference to the other obvious candidate, dynamic Dacia chief Denis Le Vot) seemed a quieter, less flamboyant character. His official photographs showed a tall, bespectacled, evidently mild- mannered 57-year-old who might have been a vice-chancellor or even a vicar.

Provost wasted little time in reassuring the French public, bemused by de Meo's rapid exit from cars into luxury goods, that he knew what was needed at Renault: he would be a continuation CEO. He made it clear he had been one of the architects of 'Renaulution' - the six-year, three-stage group revival plan announced by de Meo in early 2021 - and would keep delivering it. His deep knowledge and calmness provided just the seamless transition the group needed.

Yet in his first 10 months at the helm, Provost has also made it crystal clear he will do things his own way, producing a fresh suite of his own changes under the title 'Futuready' for what he believes is becoming an increasingly tough car market.

The plan simplifies the Renault Group management structure and slashes model development costs by 40%. Renault's key divisions have new leaders. The old Mobilize and Ampere divisions are reintegrated to save cost and spread talent. There will be 36 new models across all marques by 2030. And Renault will concentrate harder on the Indian, South Korean and Latin American markets, several of them Provost's former stamping grounds.

All of this is a result of fresh thinking and quick action, and it made meeting and interviewing the new CEO an urgent Autocar priority, so we asked for the favour early. As a rule, CEOs meet hacks somewhere safe and comfortable, in familiarly plush surroundings where passers-by merely murmur and an executive assistant patrols the room outside. But Provost has decided to do it differently.

From the highest echelons of Renault HQ has come an offer to spend seven hours with Provost and his top team at a secret test track south-west of Paris, first witnessing his hour-long review of new models, some close to production, some needing big decisions and more work, and then to be on hand while he tests a selection of cars and vans, some at speed on the track, others statically, several against key opposition products.

It is clear we are going to talk as we look, walk and drive. I am going to see products still years from market, which I can mention but not describe. Most importantly, I will come to understand the kind of decisions chief executives take about the new products for which they are responsible. Do they act as designers, engineers, dealers or customers? Or all of those?

We meet at 8am at the beginning of a brisk, beautiful day, first taking a quick, outdoor coffee as we contemplate a selection of viewing models spaced across the Tarmac of a large skidpan. Provost, warmly overcoated in a way that shows his experience of test tracks, greets everyone in the same friendly way, including me. Today we have a 20-strong travelling crew of designers and department heads, including Renault Group design chief Laurens van den Acker and directors led by Renault brand boss and chief growth officer Fabrice Cambolive.

An immediate aura of authority follows Provost but he does not need or bother to feed it: this will be a collaborative exercise, he says. Maybe he will make some bottom-line decisions along our way, but not until anyone in our group who wants to has had a say. At the outset, this seems an admirable way to reach good decisions. Anyone can pipe up and the group is small enough to contain just one discussion.

We walk towards three clusters of new cars, not getting too close because design boss van den Acker wants us to appreciate the cars' proportions and staying away is best. Not knowing quite where to kick off, I start questioning Provost about the early engineering credentials that are close to the beginning of his long CV. "I'm not deeply qualified in engineering," he says, smiling modestly and speaking English at least as fluent as my own. "Let's say I know enough to challenge things I am told, if necessary.

"But the step-by-step assembly of cars is where I have a lot of experience. Once, we could dedicate an hour just to talking about a bumper. Now, we have bigger issues - e-architecture, battery technology, packaging and efficiency - to stretch us. We have to spread our time over the things that matter."

Discussion is a big part of life for this CEO, it emerges. Mondays are usually packed with business decisions. Thursdays are spent at the group's vast and imposing Technocentre, staying abreast of developments. Running the company fits in between. We approach two models that are already nearly two years in development, the 2028-ish Renault Scenic and its lower, sleeker Rafale sibling. The cars are distinct but clearly share key design details. Away from the cars, designers produce images of a new and more imposing rear for the Scenic, which everyone likes. It will be adopted.

There's debate over whether the two models are too similar: a majority reckons they might be. There's a suggestion that the front face of one of the models is "too German" and Renault's diamond logo isn't well displayed. Work is needed. Provost tells me it will cost multiple millions to make some key frontal distinctions suggested but he's inclined to spend the money. Renault Design (through its new chief, Alexandre Malval, just four months in the job) agrees to adapt the models along the lines discussed, at top speed, and present them again. The pressure is on everybody to get this pair signed off.

We move on, inspecting the new Dacia Sandero in production-ready form, a vital model for the group because 70% of Dacia buyers stay loyal and the hope is this replacement for Europe's best-selling car will motivate them to do it. It takes clear influence from the new Duster and Bigster and looks (as ever) remarkably good value for money.

Then we survey the arresting Renault Bridger concept, a special standard-bearer for Provost's Futuready plan because it was announced this year and is earmarked for the Indian market, into which the CEO is determined to expand. It's tall and imposing, but Provost points out that it's just 4.0m long, like a Clio. "In India, you have to double everything," he says. "They want it richer, bigger, roomier, so it's an advantage if it looks big."

I suggest that this imposing baby SUV could work wonderfully in Europe with a Dacia badge on the nose. It's clear Provost has heard this plenty of times before but he insists the car's first mission will be "in India, for Indians". He's desperate not to complicate things with other powertrains and markets, and to get the car to market as soon as possible. He half-agrees with my suggestion that this model could sell 100,000-plus in Africa, the Middle East and South America but is determined to be super-cautious with a model of such high potential.

Next, we head across the vast proving ground to a handling track that I dimly remember from Renault Sport drives and demonstrations years ago, before Alpine became the group's favoured performance marque. So I ask the ritual question about rumours of a Renault Sport revival and receive an unvarnished negative answer: "We decided several years ago to move on from there and we will not change."

Now Provost will make half a dozen comparisons and assessments of Renault Group and rival cars. First, he rides with one of Renault's professional testers in a super-potent blue Renault 5 Turbo 3E prototype - from which he emerges in a remarkably poised state, given the rate I have witnessed him being hurled into the first bend. Then he steps into a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, much larger so hardly a comparative vehicle but the closest convenient thing anyone can find to another sporty EV. He's impressed with the way it emulates a sporty combustion powertrain's noise and wonders if the same thing should be investigated for the Turbo 3E. Someone writes that down...

Next comes an assessment of steer-by-wire tech, an experimental system built into a Rafale, which the CEO will try against an electric Lexus RZ. In the Renault, it takes a bit of getting used to: it feels lighter than he'd like, though the lack of wheel-winding and sense of agility in tight going definitely gets his attention.

He leads a debate about by-wire steering's cost benefit, especially in small cars, but still agrees it's coming. Accompanying is Philippe Brunet, the Renault Group's engineering head and clearly a by-wire steering enthusiast. He makes the point that once you're used to it, you miss it when you go back to a "cumbersome" standard system - and Provost's own experience in the Lexus comparator, where it's developed to a production spec, helps prove the point. The value of this session becomes clear: in future meetings when by-wire costs are discussed, the CEO will have clear experience of the benefit.

Testing continues. We try a new Renault Trafic E-Tech electric van against its strong-selling Ford E-Transit Custom equivalent, an example of an all-new vehicle meeting an older, respected rival. Both do what today's vans do: drive as easily as cars. But the fact that the Renault is a generation ahead soon becomes obvious.

Now it's time for lunch, the French equivalent of sarnies in a trackside meeting room. What that actually means is high-quality finger food, taken with enough time to chat and respect the digestive system. Provost discusses the various unappreciated challenges of making cars in the current transitional era. ("It's about managing the transformation. It's hard to find today's blue-collar staff.")

Then he turns to the challenge of making decisions as CEO. "I have no difficulty deciding," he says, "though I admit sometimes what I decide is different from my first position. I believe in consensus, but never soft consensus. I want my people to say: 'My car is better, and I know exactly why."

Off we go again, first examining the recently launched Renault Twingo and previewing (in a special antechamber) the upcoming Dacia offshoot, a successor to the Spring. I'm impressed that it looks great, and entirely Dacia-ish, without trespassing on the shapely appeal of the Twingo. Also that Dacia's people have been given enough licence to include typically Dacia gadgetries, which for now cannot be described.

We take comparative trips in a Renault Filante, the big crossover they sell in Korea, and a statuesque Hyundai Santa Fe. There's not much to learn there, apart from the fact that the Filante has a remarkably spacious back seat and the Santa Fe interior fails to impress.]

Last, we tackle two MGs: the ZS hybrid, which we agree does everything well but doesn't have nearly the appeal of a Dacia Bigster, and the MG HS plug-in hybrid, which Provost describes as "a big danger" because, as well as being practical and affordable, it has the kind of visceral appeal in which Renault always aims to specialise. Vittorio d'Arienzo, a leading engineer within the Renault Group, is tasked with producing some value research for the CEO against the Symbioz and Austral.

Suddenly it's 3pm. Provost, cheerful and cordial with his friendly farewells, finds it unnecessary to burden the rest of us with the weight of his workload, even though he's heading straight back to his business office in Paris to continue a day that will soon reach its end for the rest of us. He has been both wise and enjoyable company: how many multinational CEOs can you say that about?

At no stage has he barked importantly into a phone or taken time out to fight corporate fires. He has been here to learn, to instruct and to decide things, and I have formed a powerful impression. He seems to be exactly the right person for this job.

Our meeting location

People kept telling me before arrival that the super-secret Aubevoye test centre, where I was scheduled to spend most of the day with Renault CEO François Provost, was located in "the back of beyond", at least in French terms.

This seemed a bit of an overstatement to someone from the red heart of Australia - given that we're talking about a 1500-acre estate surrounded by beautiful Normandy farmland, with forests on every side. Yet Aubevoye is remote in the sense that the little rural road that leads you to the Renault Technical Centre from the nearby town of Gaillon doesn't take you anywhere else.

Yet when you arrive, the sheer industry of the place is evident. Car parks make clear that this is the workplace of hundreds of people, all charged with developing, testing and passing for production every Renault Group model before it heads to market. There are dozens of workshops and offices with many link roads, plus 40 miles of test tracks featuring every kind of road surface. There are 43 test cells, 18 corrosion test centres and even two wind tunnels.

This is the true heartland of Renault. The pride and passion of its incumbents, continuously honed over 46 years since it opened for business, is palpable. What better place could there be for a first meeting with the big boss?

UK cars are older than ever, but buyers still fear 100k miles

Fri, 5 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0100

Most buyers would steer clear but DVLA data shows cars – including EVs and hybrids – are living longer

New data has revealed that used car buyers are still reluctant to purchase a car that has accrued more than 100,000 miles, despite the average car on UK roads now being older than it has ever been.

According to a survey by eBay, 72% of drivers would be scared off by six figures on an odometer, while 52% would avoid a car that had surpassed 50,000 miles.

Yet DVLA data shows that the average car on UK roads is now 10 years old, up from nine years old in 2020 and eight years old in 2018.

Furthermore, a new study of almost 30,000 quotes by Car.co.uk, which buys cars for scrap, found the average age at which cars are being scrapped has increased to almost 17 years, from almost 15 years in 2021.

Indeed, the so-called mileage myth of yesteryear isn’t the reality any more, one used car dealer told Autocar. Paul Toomer, founder of CarPod, a dealership near Southampton, said that cars are much more reliable than they once were and so are living longer lives.

And as prices have risen across forecourts, Toomer has seen buyers’ attitudes towards high-milers begin to change.

“A car with 80,000 miles today costs as much as one with 50,000 miles did six years ago, before Covid,” he said.

“As long as the service history is watertight, they’ve had few previous owners and they’re in proper condition, we certainly don’t struggle to sell high-mileage cars.”

Toomer even claimed that “they look much better value against low-mileage ones”, explaining: “I’ve just bought an Audi Q3 1.5 TFSI S Line with full Audi service history, registered in 2021 and with 125,000 miles and one previous owner that I will retail for around £14,000. The same car with 50,000 miles would cost around £20,000.

“Meanwhile, I have a friend with £30,000 to spend who could buy a new car but has chosen instead to buy a 90,000-mile Mercedes GLC. “At the right price, there’s a market for everything.”

Hybrids and EVs stand test of time

The DVLA’s data also shows that electrified cars are covering high mileages. More than 93,000 hybrids, for example, have done in excess of 100,000 miles and nearly 32,000 have covered more than 200,000 miles.

Meanwhile, one classified sales website is displaying 50 examples of the electric Tesla Model S with more than 100,000 miles – 10 of which exceed 150,000 miles.

Experts say that such figures challenge the widely held belief that, as electrified vehicles grow older and accrue higher mileages, their batteries degrade to the point of becoming unusable.

Generational, a company that measures the health of cars’ drive batteries, has assessed the battery state of health (SoH) of 8000 electrified vehicles aged up to 12 years old and which have covered up to 160,000 miles. It found these packs held on average around 95% of the capacity they had when they were new.

“The data shows that EV batteries are performing far better than many consumers have been led to believe,” said Generational co-founder and CEO Oliver Phillpott.

Estelle Miller, co-founder of EV Experts, a used EV dealership in Guildford, backed Generational’s findings, saying: “How an EV battery has been charged has more bearing on its health than the age of the car or the mileage it has covered. Frequent rapid charging is not ideal. It’s why an EV with, for example, 50,000 miles can have a worse SoH than one that has done 80,000 miles.”

Audi Nuvolari is far more special than a big TT or muffled Lambo

Fri, 5 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0100

R8 stood in the shadow of mad Italian cousins, but wildly bespoke Nuvolari can steal the spotlight

Everything we read about the Nuvolari suggests Audi has little intention of perpetuating the hierarchy that saw the R8 play second fiddle first to the Gallardo then the Huracán.

This new supercar is going to have even more power than its Temerario cousin, as well as a full carbon body. Limited production will also make it precisely as exclusive as a LaFerrari. These are not the trappings of a machine people will easily be able to denigrate as being an ‘overgrown TT’.

And yet I do hope Audi retains some of the maturity that set the R8 apart from almost every other mid-engined supercar. Some of the stunning fluidity that characterised the first-gen car was traded for more dynamic aggression in later years, but an Audi R8 of any period was always the car we’d scrap for when it was time to drive home from a group test in Wales. It would dispatch 250 autumnal miles as charmingly and nonchalantly as an Aston Martin DB11.

So how might this Nuvolari present, relative to the Lamborghini? The Temerario is highly strung, unquestionably. In order to hit 10,000rpm, the engine is tuned in such a way that the lower portion of the rev-range can be a bit of a dirge. It needs commitment to feel special.

It is a similar story with the complex chassis, which wants load and agitation – to be taken by the scruff – before it begins to reveal magnificent poise and dexterity for a near two-tonne car.

The Audi uses the same powertrain and architecture as the Temerario but so sensitive and infinitely tunable are modern systems that the two could well feel almost entirely unrelated.

We’re not just talking about damping rates, castor and ride-height here. There’s the calibration of the rear-steering, the throttle-by-wire maps and the torque-vectoring ability of the e-motors on the front axle, not to mention old-fashioned sound-deadening, the tactility of the materials in the cockpit, and minute adjustments hip-point. The potential for divergence is substantial.

Audi’s new technical boss Rouven Mohr, who joined directly from Lamborghini and the Temerario, is obsessive about this stuff. During a chat at Sant’Agata after the launch of the Revuelto, I can remember him saying something to the effect that ‘these days any engineering undergrad can draw completely perfect suspension geometry – the real magic is in the tuning of the electronic systems.’

The Nuvolari is his chance to demonstrate this thinking with a machine not only very different to the Temerario in character, but different in itself – able to deliver R8-esque touring manners one moment but then take the fight to a 911 GT3 on track.

Exclusive Wells Vertige road test: £75k A110 rival is a lightweight, purist gem

Fri, 5 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0100

Britain’s newest sports car maker goes for a gap in the market with a sub-tonne two-seater The demise of the old-school, British-built sports car – easy on the eye, gloriously light on its tread blocks and fizzing with feedback – has been exaggerated, according to Robin Wells, founder of Wells Motor Cars.Wells is the entrepreneur who, in 2021, revealed the Vertige at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, having developed the coupé effectively in secret since 2014, with engineering consultant Robin Hall joining in 2016. There is much to like about what he’s offering too – not least the sub-tonne kerb weight, the fact that the Vertige is shorter than most modern superminis and the generous output of its naturally aspirated, widely modified Ford engine. Connolly leather, if your pockets are deep enough, and rosewood are also on the menu, and suggest the Vertige is more than a glamorous kit car developed on a shoestring budget.More broadly, Wells says this car is about accessible fun and involvement over speed (hence the lack of anti-lock or power-assisted brakes, power steering, or any form of ESP or traction control), and right-sized for British B-roads. All of which is music to our ears, though he also assured us running costs and practicality have been important considerations too. More on the ownership element to come.Production volumes out of a facility a five-minute drive from Gaydon, with nine full-time employees, are unsurprisingly minute. An original run of 25 ‘Founder’s Edition’ Vertige cars began in 2022 – and now that those are all on the road, Wells is in the process of building a new batch of fruitier R-specification cars, of which our test subject is one of the earliest examples.It’s an enticing proposition if you mourn the retirement of the Lotus Elise, have a taste for 1960s design and consider £75,000 a fair outlay for a hand-built, seldom-seen sports car in 2026. Is the Vertige really worth your interest? Let’s find out.

The mysterious world of the three-wheeled car

Thu, 4 Jun 2026 21:09:26 +0100

Believe it or not, the three-wheeler class was quite an important one - meet some of its most notable members

The first cars sported just three wheels, and since then more than 1200 different models of three-wheeler have been produced.

But how many can you name? Morgan and Messerschmitt are the go-to brands, but after that most car fans will struggle to name many. So read on and prepare to be enlightened on some of the most bizarre vehicles ever created:

Morgan (1909)

We might as well start with the company best known for producing cars with one wheel missing. Morgan started out in 1909 and soon built up a following for its cars which were successful in trialling as well as racing. As you can see, despite the diminutive proportions and slightly low wheel count, there was still enough room for adults to travel in luxury. There was even a roof.

Morgan Supersports (1933)

In the pre-war years Morgan hogged the three-wheeler limelight and, as the quintessential three-wheeler we had to include the Supersports. Capable of over 80mph, these cars were far more rugged than you’d expect.

Brogan (1946)

Ohio-based Frank Brogan set up a new company in 1946 to build a utilitarian three-wheeler named after himself – and why wouldn’t you want to name a car after yourself when it looks this good? This is actually his second three-wheeler; the first featured its single wheel at the front and an air-cooled 10bhp single-cylinder engine. This later car switched the single wheel to the back. Brogan built about 30 cars in all.

Davis Divan (1947)

Not all three-wheelers have to be tiny; the Davis Divan was 4.7 metres long, weighed 1111kg and was powered by a 2.2-litre engine. It could also seat four abreast on its single bench seat so it was a tad unstable, which is why no production cars were built – but 17 prototypes were. One of them can be seen at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles (pictured).

Invacar (1947)

If you were a disabled driver in the post-war years, this was what you could look forward to driving. It was almost worth losing an arm – except that you’d have to pay 25% more. There were six iterations of the Invacar in five years, then in 1952 came the Mk8 (there was no Mk7) which was seriously upmarket as it featured some rudimentary weather protection.

Bond Minicar (1948)

Lawrie Bond (1907-1974) offered the only British-made three-wheeler in 1948, apart from Morgan. Built for ultimate economy there was no rear suspension, no doors, a plastic windscreen, no front brakes and a 6bhp 122cc engine. The car was very cheap to buy and run, and it sold well, leading Bond to add a Deluxe model with a 8bhp 197cc single-cylinder engine.

Fend Flitzer (1949)

Fritz Fend worked for Messerschmitt during the second world war. When the war ended he decided to start building pedal-powered three-wheelers for injured soldiers. The first cars were sold in 1948 but a year later this more sophisticated Mk2 version entered production with a 2.5bhp 98cc engine that could whisk the Flitzer up to 38mph. The most bizarre feature was the inflatable ribbed roof; the Flitzer Mk2 was enticing enough to part 252 people from their money.

Velorex (1950)

Based in Czechoslovakia, the Stransky brothers built their first Velorex prototype in 1943 but production didn’t start until 1950. A steel-tube spaceframe housed a 175cc engine (later 250cc then 350cc), over which were clipped canvas sheets to keep out the elements. It was light, frugal and surprisingly quick, and more than 15,000 had been sold by the time production ended in 1971.

Fuldamobil N-2 (1952)

The original Fuldamobil of 1950 used the same manufacturing techniques as contemporary caravans. Things improved with the N-1 of 1951 and by the time the N-2 arrived a year later, this super-sleek 2+2 was positively stylish. It was quite fast too, with a 9.5bhp 359cc single-cylinder engine.

Daihatsu Bee (1951)

Most Japanese car makers started small; Daihatsu’s first passenger car was this three-wheeler that was powered by a rear-mounted 804cc air-cooled flat-twin. So it probably drove just like a shrunken 911. At over four metres long it was a big car for such a tichy engine which is why it topped out at just 49mph. About 300 were made; do any survive?

Bond Minicar (1952)

Having sold almost 3500 copies of his previous design, Lawrie Bond came up with this car, the far more upmarket Minicar MkC. There was now a door (just the one though, for the passenger), front brakes and full-width styling, so from the front the Bond looked like a proper car. Onlookers weren’t fooled for long though.

AC Petite (1952)

It seems incredible that the company that brought us the thundering Cobra 427 also built this 40mph contraption. While the Petite was made of steel, the later Model 70 was made of plastic; that’s the blue invalid car that was so prevalent on UK roads in the 1970s. The Model 70 was so unsafe that it was banned from production in 1978 – and from the roads altogether in 2003.

Allard Clipper (1953)

Just like AC, Allard was a company that built sports cars powered by huge American V8s, so the Clipper was something of a departure. One of the first cars ever to be made of glassfibre. A 346cc engine knocked out all of 8bhp but the Clipper was hideously unreliable, which is why hardly any were made.

SNCAN Inter (1953)

SNCAN was an aircraft builder that switched its attention to making cars. Just like the Messerschmitt, the Inter seated two in tandem and was powered by a 175cc engine. Early examples featured front wheels that could be folded in so the car could be pulled through a standard front doorway, enabling it to be stored inside.

Brutsch Spatz (1954)

Egon Brutsch (1904-1988) was one of the most prolific microcar designers of the 1950s, but he didn’t enjoy much commercial success. His first car was the Spatz, with a 191cc single-cylinder engine. Instead of a chassis the Spatz featured a glassfibre monocoque – which fell apart because it was too weak. This led to the car being banned in Germany, which proved something of a setback.

Gordon (1954)

Vernon Industries was the company behind the football pools – the company that made some lucky people very wealthy overnight. It also made this abomination, which presumably no pools winner ever rushed out to buy. The 197cc engine sat outside the bodywork on the driver’s side and this provided a 45mph top speed.

Despite this, Vernons claimed the Gordon was “Britain’s finest three-wheeler family car”. We beg to differ.

Avolette (1955)

Another Brutsch creation, the Avolette was licensed by French company Air Tourist, which improved the styling to make the car more appealing, as is evident from this picture. The standard powerplant was a 175cc single-cylinder unit, but for those who craved performance a 250cc engine was optional.

Messerschmitt KR200/201 (1955)

When Willy Messerschmitt (1898-1978) was banned from making aircraft at the end of the second world war, he moved into car manufacturing. His first creation was the 1953 KR175; nearly 20,000 were made, and its successor the KR200 appeared in 1955. This featured a 191cc engine and tandem seating for two.

About 30,000 of these were sold by the time production ended in 1964, and the company returned to the aircraft industry.

Brutsch Mopetta (1956)

Perfect for the person with a death wish who was in no hurry, the Mopetta packed a 49cc engine and could speed all the way to 27mph. Just 1.7 metres long and all of 88cm wide, for some reason the Mopetta wasn’t a strong seller, with just 14 made.

Heinkel Kabine (1956)

As the advert says, the Heinkel was exceedingly fast and came with a spacious and comfortable interior; no wonder the family inside this one look so happy. One of the most famous and popular of all bubble cars, the Heinkel was also sold in the UK as the Trojan, with around 30,000 examples made in all.

Tourette (1956)

So many jokes, so little space... Built by the Surrey-based Progress Supreme Company, the Tourette was tiny but could supposedly seat three abreast. With all of 7.6bhp available from the 197cc engine the 195kg car was reputedly capable of 55mph. Presumably on a very steep downhill gradient. Just 35 were made in 1956-1957.

Rollera (1956)

If the Mopetta was a washout in terms of its popularity it was nothing compared with the Rollera, of which just eight were sold. It was effectively a longer and wider two-seater version of the Mopetta, and once production ended, the Rollera was licensed to Sté Rollera Francaise which built a few more.

These cars have become hugely collectible with the car pictured sold by RM Sothebys in 2013 for $63,250; a Mopetta was sold in the same auction for $66,125.

Bond Minicar (1957)

Less than a decade after he introduced his Minicar, Lawrie Bond had sold almost 14,000 of them; that’s austerity for you. The final design appeared in 1957, offered in saloon, convertible and estate forms during its nine-year lifespan. Bond had finally discovered true luxury; this Minicar had a door on each side, a throbbing 246cc engine and even wind-up windows on later cars.

Fuji Cabin (1957)

Built by Tokyo-based Fuji Toshuda Motors, the Cabin was one of Japan’s most successful microcars – which isn’t saying much as only 85 were made. The 5.5bhp 123cc two-stroke single-cylinder engine gave a top speed of 37mph; the car pictured was sold by RM Sothebys in 2013 for a whopping $126,500.

Coronet (1957)

The Coronet was an attempt at producing a microcar with big-car styling and comfort, which is why it was advertised as “the world’s best three-wheeler”. And who are we to argue? The 328cc engine could take this three-seater up to 57mph and despite the high price when it was launched, around 250 were made between 1957 and 1960.

Scootacar (1958)

As bubble cars became big news in mainland Europe, Scootacar put this confection into production. There were three iterations, all basically the same but the first two got a 197cc engine which ballooned to a 324cc unit for the final version. Around 1000 Scootacars were built between 1958 and 1965.

Berkeley T60 (1959)

We’ve already encountered the delights of Lawrie Bond. In 1955 he approached caravan maker Berkeley with a view to collaborating on a pint-sized sports car. The result was the four-wheeled B65 which four years later became the three-wheeled T60.

Very nippy and enormous fun to drive, the T60 proved a smash hit with 1750 sold in the first year. But Berkeley went bust in 1960 when its caravan sales slumped, and it was all over.

Reliant MkVI (1960)

If ever there was a company renowned for its three-wheelers, it’s Reliant – largely because it built almost 200,000 of them over a 65-year production run. The first passenger cars came in 1952 and they were pretty basic, but by 1960 the factory was churning out this sporty little number. Sleek and stylish, the MkVI was a big success, with 8478 built by the time production ended in 1962.

Nobel 200 (1959)

What started out as the German-built Fuldamobil S-7 became the British-made Nobel 200 in 1959. Offered with three wheels or four, the Nobel featured a glassfibre bodyshell made by the Bristol Aircraft Company. Available in kit or fully-built forms, around 1000 Nobels were made before the plug was pulled in 1962.

Peel P50 (1962)

Marginally more high-tech than a skateboard, the Peel P50 is still listed as the world’s smallest passenger car by the Guinness Book of Records. Capable of seating one in discomfort, a 49cc engine buzzed away under the driver; it could take the Peel all the way to 30mph.

Original P50s are very highly prized but the car is back in production once more – now powered by electricity. Suddenly the Reva G-Whiz looks sophisticated.

GM Runabout (1964)

Most three-wheelers of the 1960s were cheap, functional cars but GM showed that the genre could also be sleek and appealing with this concept. Shown at the 1964 World Fair, the Runabout’s single front wheel could be turned through 180 degrees so the car could turn in its own length. The back of the car also incorporated a removable shopping trolley.

Peel Trident (1965)

Buoyed by the success of the P50, Peel’s encore was the Trident. Looking like it had driven straight out of the Jetsons, the Trident could seat two side by side, with power still supplied by a 49cc engine. Once again, the Trident went back into production in 2010, and as with the P50, motive power was supplied by an electric motor rather than a petrol engine.

ABC Trimini/Tricar (1968)

If you’ve always thought that the Mini has one wheel too many, the Trimini was just the thing. Created by Auto Body Craft in the West Midlands, the Mini’s entire front end was retained and half of a Mini rear subframe was grafted onto the back end along with a new glassfibre body tub. Weighing 205kg less than a regular Mini, the Trimini was fast and 25 examples were sold.

Bond Bug (1970)

Reliant’s designer Tom Karen (1926-2022) had long wanted the company to build something a bit far out, and when it bought microcar maker Bond, it was the perfect opportunity. It sold reasonably well with 2269 being built up to 1973, each one powered by a 700cc four-cylinder engine.

Reliant Robin (1973)

The butt of endless jokes, the Robin was powered by a 748cc engine, enlarged to 848cc in 1975. The Rialto replaced the Robin in 1981 but the latter was revived in 1989 and it would stay in production until Reliant faded away in 2001.

Stimson Scorcher (1976)

With three wheels, a 254kg kerb weight and a top speed of around 100mph, the Stimson Scorcher was capable of providing thrills galore. The brainchild of Barry Stimson (1940-2022), around 30 of these wacky machines were built, each one powered by a 998cc Mini engine. They’ve become very collectible, so if you happen to see one at the right price...

Badsey Bullet (1981)

Bill Badsey (1940-2001) was an ambitious South African who claimed that his Bullet was capable of 200mph – 150mph was probably nearer the truth. Powered by a Yamaha V4 motorcycle engine, the Bullet was supposed to be officially imported to the UK from 1982, but it doesn’t seem that any cars ever actually travelled to the country.

Ghia Cockpit (1981)

The Cockpit represented the future of urban commuting when it was unveiled at the 1981 Geneva motor show. Capable of seating two adults in tandem, at the back was a 12bhp 200cc single-cylinder engine capable of giving great economy. Just the one show car was made though, sadly.

Reliant Rialto (1981)

By the early 1980s the Robin was looking dated, so Reliant brought in the IAD design consultancy with a difficult mission: come up with a stylish three-wheeler. It’s fair to say that IAD succeeded, with a car that was quite sleek.

Lomax 223 (1983)

When Nigel Whall created the Lomax from a redundant Citroen 2CV he probably didn’t realise that his Lomax would become one of the most popular kit cars ever, with more than 3500 sold. A 2CV floorpan was mated to a glassfibre bodyshell with no doors or roof. The car weighed just 400 kg, with its 31bhp 602 cm3 flat-twin engine giving ample performance.

Sinclair C5 (1984)

New regulations from August 1983 allowed electrically powered cycles of fewer than four wheels, under 60kg in weight and powered by a motor of up to 250W, to be used on the road under powered control at a maximum of 15mph. No tax disc, licence, insurance, helmet or MOT was required, and anyone aged 14 or over could drive one.

Sir Clive Sinclair (1940-2021) seized an opportunity that wasn’t there with a vehicle that was impractical and overpriced. Despite a high profile launch that saw the car featured on the TV news, it was a sales disaster, leading to the company going bust in 1985.

Replicar Cursor (1985)

Alan Hatswell formed Replicar in 1981 to build Bugatti, Ferrari and Jaguar-inspired kit cars. Then he came up with the Cursor – a single-seat three-wheeler powered by a Suzuki 49cc moped engine. With a 30mph top speed the Cursor could legally be driven by 16-year olds. About 100 Cursors were built between 1985 and 1987, with a few later cars being two-seaters.

Volkswagen Scooter (1986)

The Scooter was a refreshing take on the urban commuter car. Powered by a 1043cc Polo engine that could take it all the way to 125mph, the Scooter featured gull-wing doors that could be removed altogether to create a sort of convertible.

Grinnall Scorpion III (1992)

This car featured a square-tube steel chassis, uses Ford front suspension, with power coming from a BMW motorbike engine. Well made and enormous fun to drive, it was easy to see the car’s appeal.

Corbin Sparrow (1996)

When Mike and Tom Corbin launched their Sparrow in 1996 it was one of the few electric cars on the market. Around 350 of these single-seater commuter cars were built up to 2003. By that point the company had also introduced the petrol-engined Merlin three-wheeler, but just a dozen of these were made before Corbin went out of business.

Carver One (1997)

Three-wheelers tend to be a bit crazy but the Carver took things to the next level, with a body that leaned into corners so it constantly looked like it was tipping over. About 200 cars were made before the company went out of business in 2009.

Mercedes F300 Lifejet (1997)

Mercedes might be a very conservative company, but that doesn’t stop it letting its designers have some fun when it comes to concept cars. They were certainly let off the leash for this one; a two-seater three-wheeler with a 1.6-litre engine that could do 130mph.

A computer allowed the cornering angle to be controlled, with the body able to tilt by up to 30 degrees, presumably ensuring that any occupants will feel sick by the time they get out.

PAL-V (2004)

The PAL-V is essentially a gyrocopter based on the Carver One that we saw earlier, a 100bhp petrol engine in drive mode gives a top speed of 100mph on the road. When flying the engine’s power output doubles to 200bhp and the top speed increases to 112mph. However, consumer sales have been repeatedly delayed.

Peugeot 20Cup (2005)

Offering a brief diversion from reality, Peugeot whisked the covers off the 20Cup in 2005 to show what a three-wheeler with a Peugeot face would look like. It looked pretty appealing, and with a kerb weight of under 500kg along with a 168bhp turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine it would have been a hoot to drive.

Volkswagen GX-3 (2006)

When VW unveiled the GX-3 at the 2006 Los Angeles Auto Show the assumption was that this was merely a show car, but the ultra-conservative company looked seriously into putting the car into production. A 1.6-litre Lupo GTi engine gave 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds and a 125mph top speed, but litigation concerns put paid to the project.

Morgan Three-Wheeler (2012)

We’re going to (almost) finish where we started; with the car that has come to sum up the three-wheeler market in the 21st century. A brilliant recreation of the original, the modern-day Morgan is unfeasibly fun to drive; it’ll put a smile on your face – and those around you – like no hypercar ever could.

Morgan EV3 (2018)

This was the electric Morgan Three-Wheeler, but it never made it to market. First unveiled at the Geneva motor show in 2016, several prototypes were made but it was being developed with partner company Frazer-Nash Energy Systems and it seems this deal came to an end, taking the project with it.

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The wildest cars ever made

Thu, 4 Jun 2026 21:08:16 +0100

Car makers tend to produce safe, dependable designs that won't scare any horses. These are the exceptions

Customisers around the world have been creating deliberately wild-looking cars for many decades.

For at least as long, manufacturers have also come up with some pretty wild designs without necessarily meaning to. Many of their most apparently crazy cars ended up that way for sound technical reasons, or perhaps because they were simply following a particular fashion. Others can safely be described as unfortunate mistakes.

The possibilities are so wide that hundreds of cars could reasonably be described as wild. Here, in alphabetical order, are some which particularly grabbed our attention:

Alfa Romeo Disco Volante

The Disco Volante was a sports racing car derived from Alfa's 1900 saloon and produced in very small numbers in 1952 and 1953. Manufacturers had been trying to manage airflow round their car's bodies for some time, but the Disco Volante took the idea to a whole new level.

Five cars were built, with three body styles. The Spider (pictured) most obviously deserved the model's name, which is the Italian for 'flying saucer'.

Alfa Romeo SZ

The most memorable Alfa Romeos are usually beautiful, and frequently curvy. Neither of these descriptions applies to either the SZ coupe (pictured) or the later RZ convertible. Based on a sketch by Robert Opron (1932-2021), the SZ was slab-sided and aggressive.

It was nicknamed il mostro ('the monster') by Italians, perhaps with a sense of approval and respect.

AMC Pacer

For a car produced in the US in the second half of the 1970s, the Pacer had an astonishingly modern design, featuring an enormous amount of glass. The radical shape was almost certainly a step too far for American Motors Corporation. Unlike Detroit’s Big Three US manufacturers, AMC was not big enough to offset the risk of losing money on the Pacer with profits from more conventional models.

The Pacer was not a great car, and there were several reasons to avoid it, but the styling was certainly a factor in AMC's decision to end production after just five years.

Ariel Atom

The Atom is an extreme example of a car's form being dictated by its function. There is almost no styling at all. The body of the car is also its spaceframe chassis, through which the driver and many of the components can easily be seen. There are almost no non-structural panels.

Despite all this, the Atom is one of the most immediately recognisable cars in the world. Hardly anything else looks remotely like it.

Aston Martin Lagonda

Designed by William Towns (1936-1993), the Lagonda was greeted with outrage when it made its debut in 1976. Until then, Aston Martins had been stylish and curvy. The Towns design largely consisted of flat panels joined to each other by sharp edges.

Traditionalists were horrified, but the Lagonda in fact remained in production until 1990. A slight restyle (again by Towns) in 1987 did nothing to change the car's original character.

Aston Martin Victor

The one-off Victor is based on the limited-production One-77 hypercar, and features suspension from the Vulcan track car and an instrument display from the Valkyrie. Its 7.3-litre V12 engine was uprated by Cosworth to produce 836bhp, rather than the One-77’s 750bhp.

If the specification is wild, the appearance is even more so. The Victor's carbonfibre body uses styling cues from the V8 Vantage manufactured from 1977 to 1989. The shrouded round headlights and black paintwork help to make the Victor one of the most aggressive-looking road-going Astons ever built.

Audi Type K

Although the Audi Type K was technically advanced, it looked pretty much like most other 1920s cars until Paul Jaray (1889-1974) got his hands on it. The brilliant Austrian aerodynamicist, formerly employed by Zeppelin, produced an extraordinary body which was also fitted to cars made by the less well-known German manufacturers Ley and Dixi.

Freakishly tall for their width, these development vehicles were at risk of toppling over in crosswinds or when being driven enthusiastically round corners. But they were also much faster in a straight line than versions with conventional bodies, as Jaray knew they would be.

BAC Mono

Like the Ariel Atom, the BAC Mono and its successor, the BAC Mono R (pictured) look the way they do because they were designed to be fast, not pretty. These creations of the Briggs Automotive Company are built very much like racing cars, with an emphasis on lightness and optimal weight distribution.

They also combine a single-seater design with enclosed wheels. The advantages of this pairing are so great that it is banned in most forms of motorsport, including Formula 1.

Bentley EXP 9 F

The Bentley Bentayga luxury SUV is an imposing vehicle, but nothing like as wild as Bentley intended it to be. The Bentayga was first displayed to the public in concept form at the 2012 Geneva Show, when it was known as the EXP 9 F. Reaction to its front-end styling, with two large, circular light units stacked vertically on each side, was loud and mostly critical.

Bentley gave the matter more thought and removed much of the wildness from the design before putting the Bentayga into production in 2015.

Bond Bug

Did any car ever illustrate the culture of its time better than the Bond Bug? With its three wheels, wedge shape, opening canopy and bright orange paintwork, the Bug was almost a social comment on its 1970-1974 production life, when Flower Power was losing its influence and before punk came along to change everything.

Despite the name, the car was in fact produced by Reliant, which had bought Bond in 1969.

Bugatti Type 57S

The most other-worldly luxury cars of the 1930s were generally fitted with bodies manufactured by specialist coachbuilders. That does not apply to this Type 57S of 1936, which was designed and built by Bugatti itself.

The regular Type 57 was dramatic enough itself. The Type 57S was a lowered version. Two examples of the latter (of which the car pictured is the only survivor) were named Coupé Aero, and had the wildest - and perhaps most beautiful - bodies of them all.

Cadillac Eldorado

The Cadillac Eldorado serves as well as any other car as the poster child for glamorous American vehicle design in the 1950s. In this respect, the peak year for the Eldorado was 1959. In that year, the car featured quad headlights, jewel-like patterns in the front grille and colossal tailfins.

The tailfins became noticeably smaller in 1960. Eldorados remained eye-catching at least until the late 1970s, but they were never again as wild as the '59 model.

Caparo T1

The T1, the only car ever produced by Caparo Vehicle Technologies, looked like it had been designed for a motor racing formula which didn't yet exist. Although it was road-legal, the T1 was considered by reviewers to be a bit extreme for use on public highways. On the plus side, it performed outstandingly well on test tracks.

The T1's reputation took a hit when one example famously caught fire at very high speed during a filming session for a British TV show.

Chevrolet SSR

Although it looked very much like a concept, the SSR was a genuine production pickup designed to resemble the Chevrolet Advance Design trucks of the immediate post-War period.

The example pictured was the official pace car for the 2003 Indianapolis 500 race. The SSR went on sale right at the end of that year, but despite its eye-catching looks it found few takers. General Motors soon abandoned the project, and the last SSR was built in March 2006, but the model still has a significant cult following today.

Chrysler Airflow

Launched in 1934, the Chrysler Airflow and its DeSoto sibling were among the first production cars designed to persuade air to move around them rather than bashing it out of the way. The advantages in fuel economy and performance, among other things, are well known now, and were understood by the likes of Paul Jaray well before the Airflow models appeared.

On the other hand, introducing cars with such startling body designs during the Great Depression was a brave strategy. The DeSoto Airflow was discontinued in 1936, the Chrysler a year later, but they were enormously influential designs.

Citroën Ami

Nobody who thinks the 2CV was the wildest of Citroën's designs can possibly have seen the Ami. The saloon version of this extravagantly weird car had lozenge-shaped headlights and a reverse-sloping rear window. Neither feature was new, but along with other styling oddities they made the Ami one of the strangest-looking mass-market cars ever devised.

A semblance of normality was introduced when the Ami was redesigned in 1968, seven years after its launch. In a general motoring context it still looked bizarre, but compared with the original version it was as normal as rice pudding.

Citroën DS

The DS is widely regarded as a masterpiece of design. It was almost unbelievably modern when it made its debut in 1955, and still very unusual when it was discontinued 20 years later. The DS had high-level rear indicators right from the start, and directional headlights from 1967 onwards. These features, along with hydropneumatic suspension, are more common today, but still not universal.

In December 1999, the car was ranked third in the Car of the Century awards, behind the Ford Model T and Mini but ahead of the Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911.

Dodge Charger Daytona

Sometimes a road car is born wild to give its motorsport equivalent greater chance of success. The Dodge Charger Daytona is a particularly dramatic example. Its wind-cheating nosecone and enormous rear wing made it one of the four Winged Warriors, and the first of two Aero Warriors, to compete in NASCAR in 1969 and 1970. The second Aero Warrior was the mechanically similar Plymouth Superbird.

Outstandingly successful racing cars are often banned shortly after their first appearance. The NASCAR organisers were more subtle. From 1971, they allowed the cars to compete, but only with relatively small engines which would have made them disastrously uncompetitive.

Dodge Royal

The Dodge Royal was produced across three generations for just six model years in the mid to late 1950s. The transformation in American car styling which took place during this period can be studied by looking at this model alone.

The first two generations still had a 1940s vibe to them. For the third, Dodge went into full Jet Age mode. Long, sharp tailfins, without which cars seem to have been almost unsellable in the US at that time, featured prominently. Unusually, there was no subsequent softening of this approach, since the Royal was discontinued after the 1959 model year.

Edsel Corsair

The Corsair was one of the first models produced by Ford's disastrous new Edsel brand. Its styling was not the sole cause of Edsel's collapse after just three years, but it didn't help. Time magazine described it as looking like "an Oldsmobile sucking a lemon".

After just one model year, Ford's designers turned the dials way down on the Corsair, making the '59 car far more conventional. Despite this, Edsel was dead and gone before the start of 1960, its demise hastened by 1958’s sharp recession that brought America’s long post-war boom to an end with a bump.

Ferrari Monza SP1

The latest in a long series of Ferrari Monza models are the SP1 and SP2, which combine state-of-the-art mechanicals with slightly retro - but also very dramatic - styling. The SP1 is the more unusual of the two, since it is a single-seater. This is not immediately obvious, because both Monzas are front-engined and have a propshaft running through the centre of the chassis.

The driver's seat is therefore offset to the left, a better solution than making the driver perch above the propshaft (though this was in fact common practice when Ferrari began racing in Formula 1).

Fiat 8V Supersonic

As designed by Fiat, the 8V was a quirky-looking sports car. Several independent coachbuilders created their own versions, all of them dramatic in their various ways. Perhaps the most beautiful was the Supersonic body designed by Giovanni Savonuzzi (1911-1988) over at Ghia. Using his experience in the aviation industry, Savonuzzi created a shape which made the 8V look at least a decade more modern than the original car.

With only minor changes, the Supersonic body was also used for Ghia's interpretations of the Jaguar XK120 and Aston Martin DB2/4, to similarly wondrous effect.

Fiat Multipla

Fiat's second Multipla, introduced in 1998, was a clever MPV with six seats arranged in two rows of three - a notably friendly and sociable arrangement. As if in tribute to the much earlier 600 Multipla, Fiat gave its new model a monumentally peculiar look. Cars sold in the UK had a Fiat sticker on the rear window which read, "Wait until you see the front!"

Halfway through the Multipla's life, Fiat had a dramatic change of heart. From 2004 onwards, the car had a far more conventional design which took most of the fun out of it.

Ford RS200

One of the most radical cars Ford ever put in production, the RS200 existed in road-going form for no other reason than to allow its maker to compete in international rallying. With a low-slung body, a mid-mounted turbocharged Cosworth engine and four-wheel drive, the RS200 could have been a contender, but a dramatic rule change in 1987 rendered it ineligible for the World Rally Championship.

However, it has been able to continue competing in other events well into the 21st century. Over 30 years after it was discontinued, it still looks remarkably fresh, and surviving examples are very valuable.

Honda Insight

Nowadays there is no reason why a hybrid car should look any different than a non-hybrid. Honda clearly did not feel that was the case when it launched the first-generation Insight back in 1999. With its super-aerodynamic shape and faired-in rear wheels, the Insight looked far more peculiar than its only mildly peculiar rival, the Toyota Prius, which had made its debut two years earlier.

The second Insight, launched ten years after the first, looked very conventional by comparison.

Hudson Italia

The Italia was a co-production between Hudson of Detroit and Carrozzeria Touring of Milan. The mechanical bits came from the short-lived, ordinary-looking and recently-discontinued Hudson Jet saloon, a car with very little design flair.

The Italia had design flair by the shovelful. The most notable features were the air scoops mounted above the headlights, but even without those the front bumper (with its abrupt inverted V in the middle), the partially faired-in wheels and many other details made this an exceptionally eye-catching car. Unfortunately, it was also very unsuccessful. Only 26 examples were built in 1953 and 1954.

Hummer H1

The H1 was the civilian version of the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV, or Humvee) developed and manufactured by AM General. Enormous and not exactly celebrated for its fuel economy, the H1 was controversial in its day, famously championed by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The Hummer brand is about to make a return with the Hummer EV pickup and SUV, both marketed by GMC. These are also on the large side, but in the spirit of the age they will be available only with electric motors.

Isetta

The Isetta is one of the most easily recognisable of the bubble cars manufactured by various companies in the 1950s and 1960s. Famously, its front end consists of the vehicle's only door, and there is no reverse gear. Drivers must take both of these features into account when choosing somewhere to park.

Isettas were built under licence in many countries, but two companies are particularly significant. The car was created by Iso (later famous for its very powerful sports cars) and later taken on by BMW, which made many changes but retained the basic design.

KTM X-Bow

The X-Bow was the first car produced by Austrian manufacturer KTM, better known for its motorcycles. The shape of the mid-engined, Audi-powered X-Bow was clearly determined partly by its intended function as an extremely capable road and track car.

However, the same could be said of most motorcycles, and indeed the X-Bow's appearance was devised by KTM's regular design partner, Kiska. Like KTM, Kiska is based in Austria, though it also has an office in Shanghai.

Lancia Stratos

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Lancia's rallying programme was based on the Fulvia Coupe. This attractive little car was replaced in 1973 by the altogether more brutal Stratos.

Its fantastic appearance was matched by the bark of a 2.5-litre Ferrari Dino V6 engine mounted transversely between the rear wheels. Further drama was created by the fact that the Stratos was a bit of a handful to drive, to the point where it seemed to want to spin on almost every corner. But it was still a wild-looking car even when sitting still with the engine switched off.

Mercedes-AMG G 63 6x6

Although there have been many changes, the current G-Class is still recognisably derived from the G-Wagen (short for Geländewagen, or off-road vehicle) launched way back in 1979.

That doesn't mean there haven't been some interesting developments along the way. The wildest G-Class of all was the AMG G 63 6x6, which had six driven wheels. With a 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8 engine, it could accelerate from 0-62mph in six seconds on tarmac, and presumably not much longer than that on a loose surface. Contrary to Mercedes expectations, the 6x6 found over 100 customers from 2013 to 2015.

Messerschmitt

If the curious Isetta is the most recognisable bubble car ever made, the wildest must surely be the Messerschmitt KR175 and KR250. Fans of the British children's TV show The Clangers will recognise their resemblance to the Froglets. One version was also used in Terry Gilliam's futuristic film Brazil, no doubt because of its outlandish appearance.

The Messerschmitt company was involved only to the extent of providing the name and a factory. The cars were in fact designed by Fritz Fend (1920-2000), who wanted to provide transport for amputees from the war but found that his low-cost models were popular with other buyers too.

MG Metro 6R4

Latterly known as the Rover 100, the Metro was a small hatchback marketed under a variety of British brands from 1980 to 1998. There is no argument about which was the wildest in the range. Behold the MG Metro 6R4, which bore a resemblance to the other versions but differed in almost every other respect.

Changes included the fitment of a 3.0-litre V6 engine where the rear seats would normally be, a four-wheel drive system and lots of aerodynamic aids whose effectiveness has on occasions been the subject of strident debate.

Nissan Cube

The third-generation Nissan Cube was the first car of that name to be sold outside Japan. Its cutesy looks made perfect sense in its home market, but seemed radical in Europe and North America. Nissan didn't help itself by making bold claims for the car, including the ambitious (and easily disputed) suggestion that its rear visibility was "perfect".

Describing the Cube as a design object rather than a normal car made more sense, but that didn't prevent sales lasting for only five years in the US and a mere two in the UK.

Peugeot 205 T16

Like the roughly contemporary MG Metro 6R4, the 205 T16 was an extravagant re-imagining of an otherwise conventional small hatchback. The attractive little 205 was transformed by fitting a 1.8-litre turbocharged engine in the rear, adding four-wheel drive, upgrading the aerodynamics enormously and creating a one-piece rear body section which, when lifted up, gave easy access to the engine and gearbox.

The T16 allowed Peugeot to win the Drivers and Manufacturers titles in the World Rally Championship in both 1985 and 1986.

Peugeot 402

By the standards of 1935, the 402 was a remarkably streamlined vehicle. Among other features, Peugeot mounted its headlights close together behind the radiator grille, where they would cause the least possible disruption to the airflow.

If applied today, the visual effect caused by this would lead directly to a sales catastrophe. In the 1930s, nobody seemed to mind. In fact, Peugeot used the same technique later in the same decade for the smaller 202 and 302. The 202 even survived a few years into the Post-War era, but Peugeot soon abandoned the unusual headlight placement and has never returned to it.

Plymouth Prowler

Generally speaking, hot rods are cars which were modified - often quite extensively - by subsequent owners long after they left the factory. The Plymouth Prowler was a rare example of a manufacturer building a hot rod before the customers got their hands on it. The styling was unquestionably retro, though Chrysler also used the car to learn about using aluminium in a car's structure.

A decision to use a 3.5-litre V6 engine rather than a larger (and louder) V8 was criticised, but the Prowler was always about style rather than performance. After the Plymouth brand was axed in 2001, it was sold as a Chrysler for two more model years; 11,702 Prowlers were built in total.

Pontiac Aztek

Before any car goes into production, someone has to look at it and say, "Yes, it's fine. Let’s go with this." Why this happened in the case of the Pontiac Aztek is one of the great unknowns in automotive history. The Aztek was a generally competent crossover SUV spoiled only by the fact that it looked like nothing on earth. The mockery began when it went on sale in 2001, and continues to this day.

The Buick Rendezvous was basically the same vehicle with much more conventional styling. Funnily enough, it outsold the Pontiac in no uncertain manner.

Porsche 911 GT1

The wildest Porsche 911 ever put into production was the GT1 of the late 1990s. No argument there. It's not even close. In fact, the GT1 had very little do with other 911s of the time. It was developed for sports car racing, but Porsche was obliged to build a small number of road-legal examples - known as Strassenversion, or Street Version - for homologation purposes.

According to independent tests, the Strassenversion had a 0-62mph time of 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 191mph. These were astonishing figures for a road car built in the 20th century.

Radical

For nearly a quarter of a century, Radical has been building sports racing cars, many of which are also road-legal. The cars look perfectly at home on a race track. On public roads the visual effect is almost shocking.

Radical is also an experienced engine builder. Its RPE V8 is essentially two Suzuki Hayabusa units on a common crankcase, and is used in several single-seaters built by other companies for use in hillclimbing.

Renault 5 Turbo

As mentioned previously, the MG Metro 6R4 and Peugeot 205 T16 were extreme developments of ordinary hatchbacks. Both were preceded by the Renault 5 Turbo of 1980. In contrast to all other 5s, the Turbo had a 1.4-litre forced-induction engine mounted behind the passengers and driving the rear wheels.

Competition versions won four rounds of the World Rally Championship, but they suffered from the sport's transition to four-wheel drive, led by the Audi Quattro. Other forced-induction 5s - the Alpine/Gordini Turbo and GT Turbo - were front-wheel drive and bore very resemblance to this car. Renault's next mid-engined hatchback was the Clio V6.

Talbot-Lago T150 SS Teardrop Coupe

If you wanted, and could afford, a truly wondrous body for your car in the mid 20th century, you would have been well advised to get in touch with Figoni et Falaschi, a Paris-based coachbuilding company run by two expatriate Italians.

Almost every Figoni et Falaschi creation would be worth mentioning in this article. The one we have chosen is the 1938 Teardrop Coupe based on a Talbot-Lago T150. This astonishing design includes the elegant, flowing curves favoured by Giuseppe Figoni (1892-1978). Whether it is beautiful is a matter of personal taste, but there can be no argument that it grabs the attention.

Voisin C25 Aérodyne

Aviation pioneer Gabriel Voisin (1880-1973) was so enthusiastic about flying machines that he named his car company Avions Voisin, which translates into English as Voisin Aeroplanes. Although several of his cars were conventional in design, others - including the astonishing C6 Laboratoire racer of 1923 - demonstrated his fascination with aerodynamics, and were very quirky in design.

Both of these factors are evident in the Voisin C25 Aérodyne. While other C25s were elegant and upright, the Aérodyne was a thing of swoopy loveliness. The polished metal bars connecting the radiator grille housing with the front wings also appeared on other Voisin models.

Nuvolari: Audi reveals shock new V8 supercar to replace R8

Thu, 4 Jun 2026 18:00:00 +0100

Ultra-exclusive Lambo Temerario twin gets nearly 1000bhp from hybrid V8 – and introduces new design language

The new Audi Nuvolari is a limited-run 987bhp V8 hybrid supercar that serves as a new flagship more exclusive than the R8 – and, according to boss Gernot Döllner, serves as “a statement for the future” of the brand.

Powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre engine aided by three electric motors, the mid-engined Nuvolari is the fastest and most powerful production car the German firm has ever produced.

It features Formula 1-inspired technology including active aerodynamics, a carbonfibre body and a torque vectoring four-wheel drive system.

Due to arrive early next year and limited to 499 units, the Nuvolari is the first car that will go into production showcasing Audi’s new design language, first previewed by last year’s Concept C.

Revealed in near-production form, Audi claims that the Nuvolari is the "next tangible evidence" of its renewal after the Concept C.

Döllner added that the supercar “brings together outstanding design and a new speed of innovation with a lot of technical content”.

Serving as the flagship of Audi’s new-era line-up, the Nuvolari is pitched above the R8 that it effectively succeeds in terms of both pricing and ethos.

Similarly to how the two generations of its predecessor (which went out of production in 2024) shared their technical underpinnings with the Lamborghini Gallardo and Huracán, the Nuvolari shares its powertrain technology with the fellow Volkswagen Group brand’s new Temerario.

Rather than reviving the R8 title, it moves away from Audi’s traditional alphanumeric badging convention and takes it name from Tazio Nuvolari, one of the most successful pre-war grand prix racers, who latterly drove for Audi predecessor Auto Union.

Powertrain and performance

The Nuvolari was developed in around 14 months after being given the green light in March 2025, with that timeline set so that it could be launched in Audi’s first season competing in F1.

Audi’s new technical boss, Rouven Mohr (who joined the brand from Lamborghini, where he oversaw development of the Temerario), said that “our entire team has once again demonstrated its technical expertise, innovative strength and dedication” in making the car.

Mohr told Autocar that the Nuvolari was developed by a “cross-brand team” involving engineers from Audi, its F1 team and Lamborghini.

Mohr added: “The Concept C was the visualisation of the new design language, but 'Radical Next' can be more than design, it can be product and technology.”

The powertrain is based around the same 4.0-litre V8 used in the Temerario, which on its own offers 789bhp and 538lb ft of torque and can rev up to 10,000rpm.

That is supplemented by three axial flux electric motors, each of which produces 148bhp.

Two of the motors are oil-cooled and mounted on the front axle, delivering up to 1586lb ft. The third motor is mounted between the mid-mounted V8 and the transmission. The motors draw power from a 7.3kWh battery, compared with a 3.8kWh unit in the Temerario.

Total system output is 987bhp, which is notably 80bhp more than the Temerario, despite the individual maximum output of the engine and motors being the same. The increase is due to a bespoke torque map and software and the larger battery.

It’s enough to power the Nuvolari from 0-62mph in 2.6sec – 0.1sec quicker than the Temerario – and onto 124mph in 6.8sec. Its top speed is more than 217mph.

Mohr said: “The character of the two cars is completely different. If you would drive the car, you would not know that there is a similarity of the powertrain, you would never come on the idea, because this car really drives more from the Audi perspective. It gives you a very direct feeling on being relaxed and fast, but you can be fast like hell. An Audi always has to be stuck on the performance daily-user capability and a very high precision.”

The hybrid powertrain features an advanced torque-vectoring system that is branded as Quattro Predictive Ride. Audi refers to it as the “next generation of all-wheel-drive”.

It essentially takes data from various sensors, measuring steering angle, acceleration, yaw rate and grip to distribute torque to the wheels as needed. It does this by controlling the front motors and can also utilise the brakes as needed and adjust the active aerodynamics to reduce slip.

There are various drive modes, selected via a steering wheel-mounted dial: E-Hybrid, Balanced, Dynamic, Dynamic+ and Track.

The Nuvolari's energy management system can adapt to driving conditions, grip levels and "driver intent", blending coasting and brake recuperation to optimise energy recovery.

The front motors are responsible for a significant portion of the braking energy on the front axle, and in total up to 0.3g of deceleration can be generated by the electric system alone.

The launch control function also makes used of the stored electric energy to offer maximum acceleration.

The Nuvolari sits on 21in wheels, with Bridgestone Potenza race tyres measuring 255/35 at the front and 325/30 at the rear.

The brake-by-wire system with carbon-ceramic discs has been designed to blend with the energy recovery functions. There are ten-piston fixed callipers with 420x40mm discs on the front axle and four-piston 410x32mm discs on the rear.

Audi claims the cooling system increases heat dissipation by up to 21% compared with normal carbon-ceramic systems and claims the system can handle deceleration loads on par with an F1 car.

Chassis and aerodynamics

The Nuvolari is built around a spaceframe body and is the first production Audi to feature a carbonfibre exterior, with most components made from carbonfibre reinforced polymer (CFRP), similar to an F1 car.

The various parts are pre-shaped and then cured at high pressure and temperature, a process that is claimed to maximise structural performance while minimising weight.

Certain parts of the car that are exposed to high temperatures use heat-resistant materials.

The exterior bodywork has been honed for aerodynamic performance and includes a front splitter and dramatic rear diffuser.

Audi F1 drivers Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hülkenberg are said to have produced feedback to fine-tune the aerodynamic development.

Also derived from F1 are the Nuvolari's active aerodynamics, which can balance downforce, drag and aerodynamic balance. The active rear wing has three settings: Closed, Low Downforce (LD) and High Downforce (HD).

There are large front air intakes to aid the cooling of the brakes and boost thermal management of the motors, plus an S-duct (technology previously seen in F1) that adds downforce at high speeds and provides extra cooling for the powertrain.

In Dynamic, Dynamic+ and Track modes, the rear wing operates automatically and will shift to the LD position on straights to boost top speed. There's a manually selectable drag reduction system (DRS) that further lowers the wing. Under braking, the wing will then automatically adjust to HD position; in this mode, the Nuvolari can generate more than 400kg of downforce.

Audi wouldn’t be drawn on the weight of the Nuvolari but, with its carbonfibre body and aluminium frame, it's expected to tip the scales lighter than the 1690kg (dry) Temerario.

Design

Thanks to its short 14-month development time, the Nuvolari will be the first production Audi to feature the new design language being introduced by new styling chief Massimo Frascella.

It therefore gives strong clues as to what to expect from the next generation of the firm's more mainstream models.

The exterior is largely shaped by the aerodynamics, with an interpretation of the reduced, vertically oriented 'Singleframe' grille previewed by the Concept C - which will be a feature of the next-generation of Audi models.

The square grille on the Nuvolari is reminiscent of the one featured on the Concept C but features a number of small square elements, which are angled to optimise aerodynamics.

The version of the Nuvolari shown at the launch event was finished in Titanium, Audi's new signature colour, as already seen on its F1 cars and the Concept C.

Notably, at the rear of the car the Audi rings found on the top of the adjustable rear wing are milled from aluminium and then set flush inside the carbonfibre bodywork.

The interior also showcases the brand’s renewed focus on simplicity, with what it claims is a “driver-centric approach”. The key functions are all placed within the driver’s field of vision.

The colour accents used for various controls are inspired by the Auto Union Type C racer campaigned by Nuvolari in the late 1930s.

The cabin also uses colour to split the cabin into two zones. The front section is finished in darker tones, claimed to aid concentration, while the rear of the interior is finished in a lighter tone called Shadow Dune.

Pricing details for the Nuvolari haven't been made public, but it is expected to start from around £500,000. Deliveries of the 499 examples are due to begin in the first half of next year.

How high-tech simulators save 12,000 tyres a year

Thu, 4 Jun 2026 15:00:00 +0100

Bridgestone's latest DiM500 simulator lets it develop bespoke tyres faster

Driving simulators continue to grow ever more sophisticated, transforming the development of cars and the things they are made from.

They have certainly moved on from the level of giving drivers and pilots a realistic training environment without the need to physically sit them in a Formula 1 car or airliner.

Hardware-in-the-loop simulation (HiL) enables engineers to run components like electronic control units through endless hours of testing by connecting them to a computer model of the system they would normally control. Driver-in-the-loop (DiL) does a similar thing, allowing a human driver with real human responses, reactions and inputs to test a virtual car, or any virtual part of a car, while avoiding the time and expense of doing it for real.

Bridgestone recently installed a new DiL DiM500 simulator made by a firm called VI-grade. The DiM500 will enable Bridgestone's engineers to assess the performance of virtual prototype tyres without the need to make or physically test them until late in the development cycle.

Using the simulator, they can combine high-fidelity simulations with subjective driver feedback and historical data. It can also incorporate AI technologies to do something AI is particularly good at: extracting relevant information from vast quantities of data.

The outcome is that Bridgestone can now make earlier and more accurate design decisions by evaluating a much larger range of tyre specifications more quickly and across a broader range of conditions. The new DiL simulator is expected to avoid having to make and destroy as many as 12,000 prototype tyres a year, significantly reducing the environmental impact.

There are other advantages too. All OEMs work with their chosen tyre makers during the development of a new car to design and fine-tune the OEM-fitment tyres for that model. With both the tyre and car makers using DiL simulation, tyre and vehicle can be developed in parallel from an earlier stage.

The DiM500 simulator is currently being used mainly for dry handling evaluation but that will evolve to encompass a wider range of driving conditions.

Bridgestone had already introduced its Virtual Tyre Development (VTD) technology, which has cut raw material consumption by 60% in the development phase of OEM tyres, and 25% for replacement tyres. Bridgestone says the introduction of VTD reduced the amount of physical vehicle testing by 80%.

The DiM500 is a step up from earlier models such as the DiM250 installed by Goodyear in 2021. The DiM500 cable- is rather than actuator-operated, which gives it a larger range of motion and enables it to be used for more applications.

One key advantage of this, which may be a plus for tyre development, is that it can expose the driver to steady-state acceleration for longer, recreating a manoeuvre like a lane change more realistically and giving the test driver a more immersive experience.

Fiesta, Bronco, Puma and more: Ford's European comeback detailed

Thu, 4 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0100

Autocar renders show what the new 'Fiesta' and European-market Bronco could look like

Electric hatch will be joined by new small crossovers and an SUV - all with 'rally-led' dynamics

Ford will launch five new cars over the next four years in the UK and mainland Europe - including a new electric Fiesta successor - and the firm's Europe passenger car chief has vowed that their driving dynamics will live up to Ford's rich heritage.

The new models will all sit in the B-and C-segments. They comprise a Bronco-inspired 'multi-energy SUV; a small electric hatchback that could revive the Fiesta name; a crossover that will be built on a Renault platform; and two further plug-in hybrid crossovers that are tipped to be produced in collaboration with Geely.

Ford dominated the UK sales charts for decades with models such as the Fiesta and Focus. But its market share has slumped in recent years, in part due to the decision to axe both of those models and convert its Cologne factory to produce the Explorer and Capri electric SUVs, which are built on a Volkswagen Group platform.

However, Ford has insisted that it remains committed to the European car market and the firm's Europe chief, Jim Baumbick, has declared: "We don't just want to compete. We're here to play to win."

Five new Fords: what's coming

Ford's revamped European strategy includes a major focus on the most popular B-and C-segments, which account for around 80% of sales in the region. All five new models will be between 4.0m and 4.65m long.

The firm's new-look European line-up will be led by a compact SUV that, as first revealed by Autocar, will be part of the global Bronco family, with styling modelled on the hugely successful US-market off-roader.

The new model will be produced from 2028 onwards at Ford's Valencia plant alongside the existing Kuga SUV, with which it is expected to share Ford's C2 platform. The move is part of a plan by Ford, previously outlined to Autocar by company boss Jim Farley, to turn the Bronco from a single off-road model into a global brand.

Baumbick said the new European Bronco would be true to the US model's heritage but would also be "produced in Europe and sized for the European market", adding that "it will be a high-volume model".

The electric hatchback and crossover, also due in 2028, will be produced for Ford by Renault as part of a previously announced partnership between the two firms. They will sit on Renault's RGMP Small platform (formerly Ampr Small), as used by the Renault 5 and Nissan Micra.

However, Ford insists they will be bespoke propositions, with their driving dynamics and rally-inspired styling dictated by Ford.

Baumbick said: "To a customer, it's the things that [you] see, touch and feel that need to be different to make it authentically a Ford.

"Our job is to work with partners to assess the capability, and the bandwidth of the [Renault] platform gives us the variables to inject and differentiate the driving experience for a Ford, so we're not just buying a list of parts.

"This is not a cafeteria style of development. This is making a strategic choice on a world-class set of platforms and partners that then gives us the tools in the toolkit to do what our development teams do best, to use that toolkit to create a different experience. I assure you that you will see a completely different vehicle."

Baumbick declined to comment on whether the new hatchback would revive the Fiesta name and sources at the firm have insisted that a final decision has yet to be made. But he said that "certainly the history and the heritage" of some of Ford's classic model names "is not lost on me".

Ford will also launch what it describes as two "rally-bred crossover models" that will use a multi-energy platform and arrive before the end of 2029. While Baumbick refused to be drawn, it is expected that these will be jointly developed with Chinese giant Geely.

Ford is believed to be in negotiations with Geely to sell part of its Spanish plant to the firm, which owns Volvo and Polestar, and potentially collaborate on platforms.

Baumbick highlighted the importance of strategic partnerships to Ford in giving it the scale and volume required to compete in the European market-but he hinted it could also include Ford producing cars for other firms on its platforms.

The current Puma was launched in 2019 and is offered in petrol and electric forms. Christian Weingärtner, Ford's Europe passenger vehicle boss, told Autocar that the model was "up for renewal" and Ford was considering its future. But he insisted those future plans were "not directly related" to the similarly sized new cars being launched in the coming years.

Ford to focus on driving dynamics

All five of the new vehicles are claimed by Ford to be 'rally-bred', drawing on its long history of off-road competition. The focus on its off-road heritage reflects a similar strategy Ford has taken with its US line-up in recent years.

Based on the success of the revived Bronco, its more road-biased Bronco Sport sibling and Raptor variants of its pick-ups, the firm has focused on becoming "the Porsche of off-road".

Ford will use its rallying heritage to follow a similar path in Europe, believing that this approach will reinforce its history of producing cars with strong driving dynamics. The company's aim is to ensure that Fords offer superior driving dynamics to rivals, something that the firm became particularly known for in Europe with models such as the Fiesta and Focus, which were honed by dynamics guru Richard Parry-Jones.

Weingärtner told Autocar: "We need to combine the heritage with the future. If you look at the market today, what sets us apart is that we've been here for more than 100 years."

He added that this needed to be reflected in the dynamics of every vehicle Ford produces.

He said: "If the only reason to buy a car is price, then heritage matters not at all-but there are more reasons to buy a car, and this emotional connection people have with Ford matters.

"But heritage alone doesn't sell vehicles: it needs to be a good proposition, and having a sporty car is what people like to drive. We're convinced that, say, having a lot of touchscreens in a car doesn't necessarily make it the best car. Driving dynamics is something Ford has traditionally been really good at, and we'll double down on this."

This doesn't mean that all new Fords will be hardcore rally-infused models, but rather that their handling traits will emphasise fun driving. Weingärtner insisted that Ford would be able to accomplish that on platforms developed by a different company.

"We can't just have that as a marketing slogan. It needs to be injected into the core technical elements of the vehicle," said Weingärtner. "That's what we're going to do with the dampers, suspension and all those kinds of things [so it] will be true to Ford.

"The charging system of an EV platform might not be ours, but that has nothing to do with how a vehicle drives. The driving dynamics, all the things that matter, all the tunable elements and the design that will all be true to Ford."

Wider role for van division

Ford Pro, the firm's commercial vehicle arm, has long been the main profit driver of its European operations and in the future will push further into developing software-based services enabled by more advanced EVs. But it will expand its product line-up too, including the new Transit City electric van that has been developed with Chinese firm JMC.

Ford will also launch a new Super Duty variant of the Ranger pick-up, which is intended for use by emergency services and the military as well as in heavy-duty industries such as forestry and mining. It can tow up to 4.5 tonnes, has a payload of close to 2.0 tonnes and features beefed-up suspension and extra underbody protection.

Ford has used the Super Duty badge in the US since 1999 for a range of extreme commercial variants of its F-Series pick-ups.

First look at seven-seat Skoda Peaq ahead of 23 June reveal

Thu, 4 Jun 2026 08:40:00 +0100

Enyaq's bigger brother gets sleek Modern Solid styling - and we've had a promising first taste already

Skoda has previewed the design of its upcoming Peaq SUV flagship ahead of a full debut in the coming weeks.

The new seven-seater – which Autocar has driven as a prototype (below) – will use an extended version of the MEB platform that underpins the smaller Enyaq and Elroq, and face off with the likes of the Peugeot E-5008 and Mercedes GLB Electric.

New sketches released by the brand show how the big SUV will be defined by Skoda's minimalist new Modern Solid design language, which was first deployed in its entirety on the little Epiq crossover.

Headline features include the distinctive 'tech deck' grille motif at the front, the T-shaped LED light clusters, thick D-pillars and what Skoda calls a "volcano-shaped" front bumper.

Karl Neuhold, who led the exterior design, said: "In designing the exterior of the Skoda Peaq, we consistently applied the Modern Solid design language, combining clean lines, balanced proportions and distinctive elements.

"Precisely sculpted surfaces and clearly structured details create a confident, timeless presence, while signature features such as the T-shaped headlights and Tech-Deck Face express Škoda’s identity in a new electric era.”

Skoda will reveal the Peaq at a dedicated event in south-eastern France on 23 June, before a market launch after summer.

Sneak Peaq: First drive in Skoda's seven-seat EV

Who doesn’t love a literally named car? Smart Fortwo, Hyundai Coupe… erm, Toyota (M)id-Engined, (R)ear-wheel-drive (2)-seater? There’s a lot to be said for a consumer product that just does what it says on the tin and doesn’t have over-blown aspirations of universal applicability, so you immediately know what it is.

Here’s another good example: the new Skoda Peaq - so called, obviously, because it’s the largest, plushest and most expensive car the Czech firm has yet made (and not, as some thought, as a contrived phonetic tribute to the late VW Group supremo Ferdinand Piech). It’s a characteristically no-nonsense approach to model designation that’s in keeping with the brand’s ‘Simply Clever’ ethos - even if, slightly confusingly, it’s launching at the same time as a much smaller crossover called the Epiq - a name with similarly superlative connotations. And where does Superb fit into that? Maybe ‘Good’, ‘Gooder’ and ‘Goodest’ would’ve been cleaner.

Anyway, the Peaq will be unwrapped in summer as the fourth entrant into Skoda’s swelling family of pure-electric models. At 4.9m long, it’s around 250mm longer than the Enyaq, Skoda’s current EV flagship, and 110mm longer than the combustion-engined Kodiaq, to which it will basically serve as the electric equivalent - complete with seven seats.

The heavy camouflage of our test car leaves a lot to the imagination, but the finished product won't be too far removed from the Vision 7S concept which previewed it – and Skoda’s new ‘Modern Solid’ design language – in 2023. You can see the bold new T-shaped light clusters, for a start, and the Peaq will follow the Epiq in wearing the striking ‘Tech Deck’ motif on its front end.

The Peaq rides on the same VW Group MEB platform that underpins Skoda’s other EVs - albeit with a bit more metal between the axles. My test car had a single 282bhp motor on the rear axle and an 86kWh battery which claims more than 380 miles of range, and can charge at up to 195kW. This battery will also power the 90X twin-motor range-topper, with 295bhp, while the lower-powered ‘60’ entry version will use a smaller, slower-charging 59kWh battery and a single 201bhp motor. Expect prices to range between £50,000 and £60,000 - in line with toppier versions of the Kodiaq, and significantly undercutting the likes of the Kia EV9, Volvo EX90 and Hyundai Ioniq 9.

Probed on the possibility of a hot vRS version, product bosses would only grin and tell us that “anything is possible” - so expect that to follow closely behind the standard car.

So far, so familiar - but aside from being its biggest model yet, the Peaq does introduce a number of significant firsts to the Skoda range: there’s a one-pedal driving mode, vehicle-to-load charging functionality, an electrochromatic panoramic roof, a pair of magnetic phone chargers, a Relax package with a reclining seat and fold-out table, a jazzy Sonos sound system, and the door handles are electrically retractable (don’t worry, they have a hammer function to bash themselves out when frozen, and will deploy automatically in the event of a crash).

The 13.6in touchscreen is vertically oriented for the first time, as well, which Skoda says allows for clearer segmentation of content: you can have the map or camera views at the top, in your line of sight, and the buttons at the bottom, so you can reach them easily without lifting your arm from the sliding centre armrest - which does feel much more natural and gives you a better chance of jabbing the icon you were aiming for.

Otherwise, though, the crisp graphics and logical menu structures are all familiar from other Skoda models, so broadly speaking the upright screen makes little difference to how you interact with the car while moving, the only real negative being that installing the screen this way meant there wasn’t enough space for the neat, clicky Smart Dials from the Superb and Kodiaq.

A 170mm increase in wheelbase and flatter floor translates to a tangibly roomier cabin than that of the Kodiaq: Skoda claims 58mm more legroom in the second row and a significant 84mm increase out back. I had to slide the middle row all the way forwards to get comfortable in the rearmost seats, so they’re definitely still off limits for taller passengers, but kids will find them plenty spacious - and there’s still a decent 299 litres of capacity behind them (measured to the roof). That rises to a whopping 935 litres with them folded – slightly up on the Kodiaq – and there’s a 35-litre front boot, too, but that’s best just used for the charge cables.

On the road, it feels predictably (and pleasingly) like a big Enyaq - which is to say impressively composed, sensibly tuned and surprisingly manoeuvrable. The satisfyingly weighted steering is responsive and quick enough to help mask some of its substantial bulk, even on the tight and highly congested roads around Lake Como, and the 9.9-metre turning circle of this RWD version – smaller than a Golf’s – means you don’t miss the rear-steer systems that are fitted to some more expensive cars of this size.

It rides as smoothly as its smaller siblings, too; no Peaq will come with air suspension, but even on steel springs and with chunky 20in wheels (you can also have 19s or 21s), it was commendably unfussed by the more challenging sections of our route - if a little boomier inside, perhaps, by dint of its more cavernous cabin.

My test car was equipped with adaptive dampers as part of the Dynamic Chassis Control package, with 14 levels of adjustment ranging between Comfort and Sport, but as tends to be the case with such systems the default middle-ground setting provides the best real-world balance - the sportiest setting being overly twitchy in its reactions and the other extreme a bit too treacly and languid.

As for outright shove, there’s more than enough of it. I didn’t get much beyond 40mph in my time at the wheel, and didn’t have an opportunity to prove the incongruous 7.1sec 0-62mph time, but the Peaq feels decently energetic off the mark - with smooth take-up and a nice, linear acceleration curve that mitigates the tiresome, dizzying head-lolling you sometimes get with generously endowed EVs.

I’d wager this mid-rung powertrain will emerge as the sweet spot in the line-up, with the cheaper version likely to feel a bit short on puff and stamina, and the 4WD variant sacrificing a good chunk of range and refinement for the sake of a few extra bhp and improved rough-road ability.

Skoda cites the Peugeot E-5008 as the only real direct rival for the Peaq, with Europe’s EV seven-seater market otherwise largely composed of high-priced premium options and Chinese newcomers. Much rests on our first exposure to the finished car, which we’ll drive towards the end of the year, but all signs point to this being a real contender for supremacy in a segment that’s still in its early days.

5000 miles in a 2005 BMW 3 Series: Can you daily drive a modern classic?

Thu, 4 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0100

We trade ADAS bongs and touchscreens for a simple straight-six coupé, making tweaks to bring it up to date

The last time I ran a 2005-model-year long-term test car was, more or less, in 2005. But here we are again. This is an E46-generation BMW 330Ci coupé and, I have to say, it's rather good.

At least it was when it was new. The 330Ci had a 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine with no turbos and made 228bhp at 5900rpm and 332lb ft at 3500rpm. It had a six-speed manual gearbox, rear-wheel drive, hydraulically assisted steering, an actual knob to change the stereo volume and no bongs that went off when it couldn't read a road sign properly. It is a car from a previous era, and if you think I'd like that sort of thing today, you'd be right.

This one has 89,000 miles on it and was bought a few months ago on and by eBay, which still owns it. The company paid £8990 for it and spent a few grand giving it a few modifications to bring it more up-to-date inside, and over the coming weeks we will give it a few more.

Some of these are really very useful; others show what can be done. It now has phone mirroring, a reversing camera, dashcams, a GPS tracker, blindspot monitors, a head-up display and some more besides. I'll come to those in a moment.

First, though, to the 20-year-old 330Ci experience. Next to a modern car, and particularly an EV, this BMW sits low. It isn't especially short, at 4.5m long, but it is narrow, at less than 1.8m across the body.

There are normal handles for its long, frameless doors, which open on to an interior whose material quality still feels good, like its ergonomics. You can seat yourself low if you please, in electrically adjustable seats that are showing some wear but largely retain their comfort and support, and there is a really sound driving position, with a hugely adjustable steering wheel and major controls precisely where you would want them. The steering wheel is round and there's even somewhere to put the key.

I sometimes wonder where it all started to go wrong, but clearly it wasn't here.

The upgrades eBay has made so far refresh the interior rather well. What I hadn't realised, and one reason I suspect eBay is happy for us to spend some time in this car, is that it has an Assured Fit programme, which money-back-guarantees that parts you order will fit your car.

Barely anything comes without phone mirroring or a reversing camera these days, and the 330Ci's £220 head unit, which has red backlighting to its buttons, feels decidedly well integrated. The head-up display and blindspot monitoring pods less so, but I'm finding I read the speed off the display more than the conventional dial, so it's evidently effective.

That mid-2000s driving experience - and here's where the future modifications will come in - has survived 20 years and 90,000 miles relatively healthily. If you drove one of these at the time, or even a manual, rear-driven BMW more recently, the character still shows through.

The pedal weights are reassuringly firm, the steering has some weight to it and the gearlever action still retains the slightly rubbery but positive shift feel that all manual BMWs had. There's some heft to it but, from halfway into a gear, the lever drops home, welcomed into place by some over-centre mechanism somewhere in the gubbins that feels as tight as ever.

The drivetrain feels as good as I suspect it ever did too. I'm not one to thrash old cars, but it revs freely and with what now, in a world of turbocharging, is a relatively unfamiliar feeling of torque and power building smoothly and linearly - no boosts, plateaus or flat spots. Only GT Porsches tend to feel like that these days.

If there are signs of its age, and I think there are, they come from the chassis. The word 'tired' would be overstating matters, but it's the first one that comes to mind. The 330Ci is still a comfortable and relatively composed car, but as metal ages and gets worked it does fatigue; likewise suspension bushes and more will tire.

If you would spend two decades with the car, I doubt you would notice the gradual ageing, like not clocking the lines on your face as they gradually appear in the mirror. But getting into one 20 years from new, there is a feeling of slack not a lot, mind here and there.

Good news: we have a budget to make a few more upgrades to the car. I'd like to give it a chassis refresh without spoiling things. Owners' forums talk of spring and damper kits that can be too harsh, and this 330Ci will be tested by other journalists after its time with us, and I don't want to be the man who my colleagues think have ruined a perfectly good car. So I'll be going carefully, trying to bring the chassis back to structural rigidity, and refreshing the parts that aftermarket dampers don't reach, to give the standard suspension a proper platform to work from.

The plotting and planning for this has already begun, so more on that in the very next report. In the meantime, I'm finding that even a time-worn 3 Series coupé is one of life's more pleasurable things.

Update 2: The first fault

I think I've identified the areas that I'd like to update on our eBay-owned E46 BMW 330Ci project car, having spent the past few weeks driving it in its standard form. I'd like something to stiffen the shell and something to refresh the suspension - probably by replacing all of the bushes.

When I mentioned the car and the project to some engineers while out driving the new Jaguar Type 00 recently, I was struck by both how many owned or spent time with older BMWs, and encouragingly one told me bushes would make the biggest difference.

I came away pretty excited. This 330Ci was a good driver's car when it was new. It still is now, but it will be nice to bring it back as close to factory as possible. I also think an Alcantara-clad steering wheel would be cool, just because I'm a sucker for the material, and I think a limited-slip differential will tighten up the traction and make it feel nicer on corner exit.

I've identified the parts on eBay, which should all fit hunkily dorily because of the company's Assured Fit programme, and by the time the next report comes around, the work should have been done. In the meantime, daily driving a 20-year-old, 90,000-mile car hasn't been totally straightforward - as I might have expected, because that's the average age of my cars and they sometimes have problems too.

Things just wear out on older cars - although let's not pretend new cars don't have issues either. The BMW had a problem with a front offside brake that started binding. The first time it happened, I could feel the steering wheel shimmy after I pulled away from a junction, but it eased off before I found a safe place to stop to check what was wrong. Then it occasionally repeated. I could identify which corner was the problem by the heat coming off it. I pulled off the relevant wheel and cleaned up the caliper sliders, but that didn't sort it. Its next journey, though, is to a pretty cool garage to have those modifications done to it, so I've added the brake to the list of work. I'll tell you all about it next time.

Mileage: 89,600

Update 3: Have I ruined it?

Gulp, deep breath: have I ruined it? To recap, I've been driving a 90,000-mile, 21-year- old BMW 330Ci (E46) for several weeks, knowing a budget allowed by its owner, eBay, to make some choice modifications, was coming. I wanted to give it a suspension refresh and stiffen the body without turning it into a harsh road racer.

I buy quite a lot of parts from eBay already, and I'm not just saying this because this car belongs to the company. I've got a couple of old cars and a motorbike stored in the 'My Garage' section of its website, which is near-essential because it limits searches to parts that will fit a specific vehicle from an otherwise overwhelming number of results. So I added the 330Ci to my garage too. It's also useful because you know parts will fit and you can send them back for a refund if they don't.

I opted for a bush rebuild kit (£140) for the rear suspension and new bushes for the front (which all seemingly included control arms - £292), plus a brace for the rear struts (£103) that will sit across the boot, and one for the front struts (£81). I haven't felt a massive problem with the BMW's traction but I do like a limited-slip differential so opted for one (£649) and thought/hoped that lot combined would tighten the handling without spoiling the ride.

The car has at some point had a decent exhaust put on it, which is a little boomy, so I thought a big air filter kit (£206) might add some induction noise to balance it. And then I opted for a new steering wheel (Alcantara-finished £319).

Seven parts, then, for £1790, and to fit them I booked an appointment with a delightful man called Derek Drinkwater, an American-car specialist whose garage does a lot of telly work and who recently recreated Cadillac's 'Le Monstre' Le Mans racer and then toured around the US in it, pulling a tiny caravan. Also: very serious garage envy.

A few days later I got the car back, and have I ruined it? Thank heavens, I have not. It still retains much of the suppleness it seemed to have before, with just some of the softness and squidge that I thought was due to wear in the bushes and the body dispelled. Its steering feels sharper too, even though it's wearing winter tyres, which usually move around more than regular tyres. But it's better: tauter yet no less comfortable.

Downsides? A couple. Stiffening the shell has led to it occasionally creaking a bit in tight manoeuvres. And I think turn-in is slightly more reluctant, as is the way with a slippy diff. But traction is improved and it has a nicer corner exit stance, so I'm calling this a win overall. Trailing the brakes into a bend helps. This is all noticeable at normal road speeds, by the way. I don't often drive like my trousers are on fire on the road.

The car is giving subtle messages about stance that are palpable through its lovely new steering wheel. The induction kit doesn't make a huge difference most of the time, either, but is a bit raspier at high revs, and it looks cool if, like me, you're childish. So I'm happy, relieved and really enjoying the 330Ci as a daily. It's engaging, narrower than modern cars and plenty refined enough. Soon there will be more to do: the differential oil needs changing after 500 miles and a service will be due shortly afterwards.

Mileage: 90,040

Update 4: Is this truly a usable daily driver?

Now that our E46 BMW 330Ci has had its fill of drama and excitement, having had its suspension given an overhaul and a minor brake issue resolved at the same time, I've been able to set about enjoying it as a daily driver.

And, as one, it's very pleasant. It wears its 90,000 miles and 21 years well. The age of the average car is rapidly increasing in the UK and currently stands at around a decade. New cars either aren't affordable or desirable enough, or a combination of both, which means that more and more of us are sticking with our older cars.

Thankfully cars like the 330Ci are up to it. As Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said last year: "The days of them rusting away before your eyes are well and truly behind us. Even a 20-year-old car with a full service history can be a good bet for someone seeking a bargain buy that still looks up to date."

That could sum up the 330Ci entirely. Its owner, eBay, bought one of the best old 3 Series coupés it could find and so, despite the miles and the years, I just expect it to start every morning whatever the weather and not throw up a series of error messages in doing so - something it's managing deftly.

It has been on a few noteworthy trips lately. I took my munchkins to Daytona karting in Milton Keynes after the younger one, then the elder one and then the younger one's girlfriend said in turn that they rather fancied some low-horsepower, high-thrills excitement. It was pretty wet and cold but we had a lot of laughs (let's gloss over who set the fastest lap), and I thought my lad's observations were fairly spot on when he said that the 330Ci fitted in extremely well with the rest of the car park.

There were lots of what I would consider daily-friendly enthusiast's cars: BMWs, quicker Fords or Volkswagens, plus Land Rovers and, well, you know - the 'right' sort of car. Ones that were made to be engaging to drive.

Then I went to a garage in my local town to have a 500-mile oil change on the limited-slip differential that was fitted at the same time as the suspension upgrades (and the Alcantara steering wheel I haven't finished boring on about yet). I'd been meaning to visit Classic Collective, a classic car workshop in Bicester (they will basically do everything), for ages, but the BMW's needs gave me the shove I required. Cool place: nice people, cars and coffee.

A mid-2000s BMW is towards the newer end of the cars they look after, but given it's a similar age to the cars I own, I will be using them again. The diff oil had quite a lot of swarf in it, which is why its maker recommended it had a 500-mile change. But given how much was there, I'm going to get it changed again when the car needs a service and an MOT test in a month or so.

Finally I took a Sunday drive over to Gloucester, which I'd love to say was a pleasure but, through no fault of the BMW, it was a stressful drive, in peak pothole season. I took a scenic route over but spent my entire time on edge, weaving between holes in the road, so took the big, boring route home. The BMW aced both of them.

Mileage: 90,440

Update 6: What about in London?

I'm up early to drive to London City airport, because it's impossible to get there from my house for 7am on public transport - and, besides, I'm a car journalist.

It brings back fond memories, too, of my time working in Bermondsey at the start of the century, when driving through east London was part of my daily routine - sometimes in E46 BMWs.

I remember the ease of the M25 before 6am and the general quiet of the M11, London's forgotten entry road - except for today, because the M25 is blocked, so it's full of people diverting south and then back out east towards Dartford on the A13.

And I like how genuinely quiet the Docklands roads around the airport can be at all times - remarkably so, given it's an international hub bang in the nation's capital. If landing here and getting into a cab were your first taste of the UK, you would wonder where everyone was.

I think our 330Ci looks great in this environment. And if it weren't for red routes everywhere, I'd stop to photograph it here more too. The buildings that sprung up in the late 1990s and early 2000s were designed at the same time as this car. It would have featured in architectural models and renderings, so that prospective tenants could imagine this sleek silver 3 Series coupé with a suave 20-something City trader at the wheel - not a 50-year-old baldy with backache, as today, but still, I'll live the part.

While it's a sports coupé, the 330Ci makes this kind of commute easy. Sixth gear is long, the steering is heavy and exceptionally stable around the straight-ahead and it will approach 40mpg if you try.

And you know how people treat you differently in different cars? Drivers of 3 Series coupés must come across as either willing to put their foot down or slightly scary people, because nobody ever acts aggressively towards it. No tailgating, no bullying - very different to being in my Audi A2, even though I drive it in much the same way.

Being in traffic is less pleasant. The clutch is heavy, which is a bit wearisome. Control weights don't have to be heavy to be engaging, and the modern trend - allowed by electric power steering, I suppose - has been for lighter weighting in recent years. But I like the positivity of the 330Ci's pedals and steering and accept it, even to the fact that it doesn't like crawling in second where most cars would lug it out.

Shock horror: I've found a time when it beeps and bongs. It's when the temperature falls below 3deg C. Which means in the one early-morning journey per year when the air hovers between 2deg C and 10deg C, it might beep three times. Quaint, really. Overreactive ADAS this is not.

Next day, job over (incidentally, if you enjoy flying, banking right over The Shard so close you could touch it is one of the world's best airport approaches), I head home in one of the more miserable journeys I've had. A shut M1, a crash on the M40 and roadworks on minor roads all conspire to make me too late to swap the 330Ci for my just-serviced A2 at Bicester's Classic Collective.

The BMW had its service and MOT prep here a week previously, where the good people noted that it needed new belts. They had been squeaking during really cold and damp mornings, but they had got over it and been quiet ever since.

However, when it came to it, the technicians also thought some of the pulleys looked tired, so they placed some on order and we arranged that I'd call in to drop the BMW off when I was next free, which happily coincided with the chance to swap back into the A2.

So as I write, the 330Ci is getting some TLC - probably the last time it will have any particular attention before it returns to its owner, eBay, in a couple of weeks.

Mileage: 91,540

Update 7: Coupe shows its practical side

It occurred to me the other day that I hadn't tried sitting in our E46 coupé's rear seats. Turns out they're fine, really. Access is the bigger issue than space. I don't think you would want to fold infirm relatives in and out, but some forum users say they've used 330s as their only family car. Many firms offer a tidy seat delete pack, though - popular with those who turn these into track or fast road cars.

Mileage: 92,100

Update 8: Is our 330Ci a keeper?

Our time with this modernised E46 BMW 330Ci is almost up, but it has just required a little more remedial work. When it went in for a service prior to its MOT test (from which it got a clean bill of health), the technicians thought that some belts needed replacing, but when it came to doing them they realised that the pulleys would want renewing too.

I've since taken the car back to my friends at Classic Collective in Bicester to have that done. When I received a text to say it was ready, they said that if I waited 45 minutes it would be cleaned by the time I arrived. They host cars and coffee events for car clubs and had been giving the place a little spruce-up prior to a weekend gathering, and pleasingly the 330Ci got caught up in a wider sponging operation.

Pleasing because I've spent enough hours on cold remote hillsides stubbing freezing fingers against intricate alloys, cleaning them for photos, that I'm decidedly slack at cleaning cars when I don't have to.

It did mean another trip to a garage. That isn't unexpected for a 92,000-mile car, but it is the kind of routine that's worth bearing in mind if you decide that running an older used car as a daily is a better idea than a new one on the drip of finance, which will need little more than a cursory glance once a year. This is the way I prefer to run cars (and this car's owner, eBay, is accepting the costs for this) but I get that it doesn't work for everyone.

If you want to try to know exactly what motoring will cost you per month rather than be left a little to fate, a new finance deal with service plan would, I suppose, be the way. But that would mean missing out on a car as exciting as a 330Ci, which would be a shame, especially given that it cost less than £10,000 when it was most recently bought.

It's not like the 330Ci is unreliable, either, and there's good online support for common issues. On one forum, a commenter wrote that the biggest likely problem is tripping up a kerb when you turn around to look at your 330Ci after you've parked it because it's so effing awesome. But more broadly, subframes can crack and corrode, the underbody can rust elsewhere, suspension towers can benefit from reinforcement plates and the cooling system needs keeping an eye on, especially as hoses go brittle.

There are loads of new or used parts, though. I've been wondering what I would do next if the 330Ci were hanging around, given that I have another daily too. The world of E46 3 Series in regular use is still incredibly broad, from cheap 320d Touring 'dog walk cars' to perfectly preserved M3s, with something like this 330Ci somewhere in the middle. If it wasn't an essential daily driver, I think it would be nice if it received mods to best highlight its mechanical layout and driver appeal, mostly by making it lighter.

The quickest and easiest way would be to start by removing the rear seats, plus a lot of softer bits like carpets and soundproofing, although I suppose there's a point where it would start to become tiring on long journeys. I've found carbonfibre bonnet and bootlids for £1600 a pop, some motorsport alloys would reduce the unsprung mass, then I guess some light front seats could come in, although before you know it if you've gone to so much trouble that you've effectively got a track car. So chuck in a roll-cage and apply some racing numbers.

The good thing about a car like the 330Ci is that it's one of those cars that could do everything.

Mileage: 92, 946

Update 9: Insurance woes

A reader writes with a warning about fitting a limited-slip differential, as we have to our E46 coupé. I thought £650 plus fitting was quite good value, but that might not be the end of the costs. Our reader's insurer wanted to treble his premium after he fitted one. By calling around he reduced that to a 60% increase, but still. Gulp.

Mileage: 92,980

Update 10: Better and better

There were a few creaks when manoeuvring at very low speeds after the 330Ci received new suspension bushes and braces front and rear, but the noises seem to have gone away largely now. Not sure where they came from, but maybe things like that take a few miles to bed in and settle - or I've just got used to them or I'm driving around them. But I don't think so. Anyway, glad to not hear it.

Mileage: 93,011

Final report: A sad farewell

For the past few months, I've been driving this 330Ci, an old- school BMW of the type that once so epitomised the brand. It's a rear- wheel-drive, five-seat coupé with a naturally aspirated straight six and a manual gearbox - a kind of car that nobody makes any more.

Wearing nearly 90,000 miles on arrival but corrosion-free and in good condition, it's a car that would retail for around £9000 - which is what its owner, eBay, paid for it.

Then they set about giving its technology a refresh, by adding an Apple CarPlay-compatible head unit, blindspot monitors and some other useful additions. But it also came to us with a budget to make some more modifications to it. I will come to those. First, though, to the experience of a mechanically standard 330Ci. It's a car that was showing the age of the E46 generation of 3 Series relative to its rivals by 2005 (it had been on sale since 1997), but that doesn't matter a jot today. It feels great, compact by modern standards, at less than 1.8m wide across the body, with keen RWD handling and a loping ride that is more comfortable than I remember it being at the time. It's a really great cruiser.

And what a drivetrain. I'd have had no idea that it had done nearly 90,000 miles if the odo hadn't said so. It felt as tight and responsive as I'd always thought a new BMW did, with a supremely smooth engine whose power builds gently and linearly and a shift that retains the beefy positivity and slight rubberiness that it had when new.

There's a beef to the BMW's controls all round, with heavy pedals and a meaty steering weight too. These were quite common at the time but you will find much less evidence of them in today's cars, even today's BMWs, which remain among the more positively weighted cars on the market. I liked it then and I like it now. I don't think cars need hefty controls, but when they're this linearly responsive I'll take them.

The 330Ci's interior had stood up to the test of time well, too. I liked most of the mods that had already been made to the car (phone mirroring is one of the most useful infotainment innovations that the industry has made over the past two decades), but the fundamentals of this 3 Series cabin remained. By today's metrics it has a very straightforward and simple layout, with terrific ergonomics, soft lighting and seats that were showing a bit of wear but remained both supportive and comfortable.

The 330Ci didn't need modifying, but there was a budget for it, so I went for a small chassis refresh. It's possible to go big with aftermarket suspension kits on used BMWs (many are turned into fast road or track or even race cars) but I didn't want to do that. Instead I wanted to bring it back closer to where I think it would have been when it was new, before the years and the miles had taken a (small) toll on the chassis' rigidity.

Bracing across front and rear struts and new bushes all around would do, I thought, then I added a limited-slip differential, which I thought would improve traction, and an Alcantara-covered steering wheel, just because I like them.

The changes did largely what I'd wanted them to, bringing a bit of life and tautness back to the 330Ci without ruining the ride, although I think the bracing also introduced a couple of creaks at manoeuvring speeds until it all settled in, at which point it mostly went away. The differential did improve traction nicely, while reducing some corner entry keenness - a balance I was happy with too.

The 330Ci needed more work than a new car, perhaps inevitably, even if it hadn't been for the mods. There was an MOT test, for one, plus a brake binding issue that was sorted at the same time as the suspension refresh was occurring. And during its pre-MOT service some wear items (belts and pulleys) were flagged that I wouldn't have experienced if I'd bought a new car on the drip. But it's not like new cars don't go wrong either, and there's a strong following plus lots of back-up for enthusiast cars like the 330Ci.

Running a 20-year-old car isn't for everyone, but I really enjoy it. There's a compactness and (relative) simplicity and level of mechanical interaction that's absent from more and more new cars. And if it's a bit more involving to look after and tend to the needs of something two decades old, I can live with that. We should do it again.

Test Data
BMW 330Ci
Mileage
At start	88,920
At end	93,431
Prices
Used price then	£8990
Used price now	£8990
Price as tested	£13,027 (including recently fitted options)
Options
From new, largely unknown. Before coming to us: blindspot monitoring, new infotainment system, dashcams, reversing camera, head-up display. While with us: limited-slip differential £649, Alcantara steering wheel £319, front control arms and bushes £292, air filter kit £206, rear bush rebuild kit £140, rear strut brace £103, front strut brace £81
Economy and Range
Claimed range	31.0mpg
Fuel tank	63 litres
Test average	34.1mpg
Test best	36.2mpg
Test worst	31.8mpg
Real-world range	473 miles
Tech Highlights
0-62mph	6.7sec
Top speed	155mph
Engine	6 cyls in line, 2979cc, petrol
Max power	231bhp at 5900rpm
Max torque	221lb ft at 3500-4750rpm
Gearbox	6-spd manual, RWD
Boot	410 litres
Wheels	8.5Jx18in
Tyres	225/40 R18 (front), 255/35 R18 (rear), Pirelli Sottozero
Kerb weight	1522kg
Service and Running Costs
CO2	244g/km
Service costs	Service and MOT test £400
Other costs	None
Fuel costs	£896
Running costs including fuel	£1296
Cost per mile	29 pence
Faults	Brake binding

"Product is king": Stellantis pivots back to volume in bold growth plan

Thu, 4 Jun 2026 05:00:00 +0100

Stellantis will launch 60 new cars and 50 "significant" refreshes as part of new strategy

Multinational giant's “straightforward” reboot in US contrasts with trickier path to success in struggling Europe

“Product is king.” That line from Stellantis’s head of American brands, Tim Kuniskis, nicely summed up the company’s investor day, in which the multinational giant attempted to wash itself clean of the failures of previous CEO Carlos Tavares and present a plan that walked the tightrope of promising growth in a no-growth environment.

The 21 May event was a very different affair than that of 2022, when Tavares first presented his vision for the newly formed 14-brand company, starting with the change in location from Amsterdam to Michigan.

Tavares had promised a wholesale shift to electric power, a raft of new income streams, from software to subscriptions, and a doubling of annual revenue to €300 billion (£260bn) by 2030.

Stellantis under new CEO Antonio Filosa, like all automotive companies suffering from the hangover of wild, Tesla-fuelled digital promises, has to embrace the new realities and instead focus on product and cost-cutting.

Revenues will still rise by 2030, promised Filosa, but only to €190bn, up from €154bn in 2025.

“The reset has been profound and necessary,” said John Elkann, Stellantis chairman and scion of the Fiat dynasty, in his opening introduction to what he promised would be an “ambitious but realistic plan”.

Investors at the event were told that overall vehicle sales are unlikely to grow in the company’s two main revenue-generating markets – Europe and the US – over the next four years.

So growth within Stellantis will instead have to come from launches in market sectors that the company had backed away from under Tavares or in which its brands had never been strong.

Under the plan, dubbed Fastlane 2030, Stellantis promised to launch more than 60 new vehicles globally between now and 2030, broadening its market coverage of Europe by 25% and North America by 50%.

In the US, that means mostly dropping down into cheaper segments, such as smaller Ram pick-up trucks targeting the Ford Ranger and Maverick.

In Europe, meanwhile, Stellantis will launch two new small electric cars in 2028, including the new Citroën 2CV and three new Fiat models atop the low-cost Smart Car platform.

It will also push upward with more compact models, for example a new Vauxhall SUV created with Chinese partner firm Leapmotor.

Volume had been a dirty word under Tavares, who was willing to lose market share rather than see initially high profit margins eroded.

In Europe, for example, Stellantis’s share after the first four months of this year had fallen to 15.8% from 19.7% in 2022.

After a disastrous 2025 in which Stellantis lost €22.3bn (£19.5bn), mainly due to write-downs on US EV investments left stranded by the US government's reversal of emissions targets, Stellantis is back in the volume business.

Already we see the fruits of that in the UK, with news that Peugeot is cutting its prices up by up to £7000 across the range, reflecting the new world order in which new Chinese brands determine the price ceiling in the volume segments and woe betide those who don’t follow.

What was clear from Stellantis's investor day was that Europe is the weak link in its empire. Of the €36bn allocated to Stellantis brands over the next four years, 60% is heading to the US, despite Europe leading in terms of sales, at 2.5 million in 2025 versus 1.3 million.

“This reflects where we see the strongest combination of market opportunity, brand strength and attractive returns,” Filosa said.

The US is now a walled garden, protected by tariffs and freed of any emissions constraints, allowing Stellantis to refocus on high-margin V8 pick0ups and muscle cars as well as cheaper segments.

Starved of investment under Tavares, the American side of Stellantis is now front and centre of Filosa’s reboot ambitions, with a margin target of 8-10% by 2030.

The European side meanwhile has a margin target of just 3-5%.

The home of storied Stellantis brands such as Peugeot, Fiat, Vauxhall and Citroën may deliver proportionally far more sales, but it’s thin gruel compared to the US, with an average selling price of €22,600 in the first three months of this year, compared with €42,500 in the US, according to calculations made by the bank Bernstein. Consequently revenue is actually higher in the US.

Stellantis is covering off Chinese competition in Europe with partnerships with Leapmotor and now Dongfeng, allowing it to tackle the threat from the likes of BYD, Chery and MG head-on while also refilling its depleted plants.

Leapmotor will take over Stellantis's Madrid plant and have cars built at its Zaragoza plant in Spain, while Dongfeng will build high-end Voyah models at the company’s Rennes facility in France.

That will improve Stellantis’s factory utilisation rate in Europe from a poor 60% now to a “best-in-class” 80%, European boss Emanuele Cappellano promised at the investor day.

The other plant-filler will, of course, be more volume from these new models.

Bernstein analyst Stephen Reitman wasn't completely sold on the idea that Stellantis could boost volume simply by playing in new segments.

“It is axiomatic that a gap in one’s line-up does not mean there’s a hole in the market,” he wrote in a note entitled 'A Fast Lane to Where Exactly?', citing as an example strong Japanese competition in the US crossover market, where Stellantis wants to expand its single-model Chrysler brand.

In Europe, the planned 25-plus model launches by 2030 will gather 25% more market coverage but generate only 15% more revenue, Stellantis said.

Cappellano explained to journalists that the gap was because much of the volume will come from these new electric city cars with a target price of around €15,000 – below the company’s average selling price in Europe and therefore making a smaller dent on revenue.

With Europe dragging down Stellantis's profitability, due in part to new market entrants, analysts took little comfort in the plans for the region’s reboot presented in Michigan.

“We struggle to find any catalysts that revive the company’s performance in Europe,” Reitman said.

Whereas Stellantis’s strategy in North America looks “straightforward”, according to Philippe Houchois of the bank Jefferies, “the Europe strategy [is] more demanding”.

Investors will be watching the delicate balancing act required to localise Chinese tech and models through Leapmotor and Dongfeng to satisfy EU regulations and remove tariffs with the need to preserve the cost advantages they have in China.

Much of Stellantis’s profit targets will come via cost-saving – another recurrent theme among global car makers at the moment. That will be partly achieved through quality control, Filosa said, something he hopes adoption of AI will help improve.

This is doable, believes Deutsche Bank analyst Christoph Laskawi, “but we remain somewhat more sceptical on growth".

Stellantis under Filosa hasn't shed everything from Tavares’s Dare Forward plan from 2022. For example, it retains the belief that moving to software-defined vehicles using its STLA Brain software architecture from 2027 is the right path, opening up opportunities in autonomous driving with UK specialist Wayve and Qualcomm (replacing a deal to take software developed by BMW and Qualcomm).

But as with Renault earlier this year, the thrust of the investor day by Stellantis was to show that it can be a better car company by producing cars that customers will love at a price they can afford, with enough left over for shareholders.

The star of the show was Kuniskis, who delivered a back-to-basics message aimed essentially at the US dealers alienated by Tavares.

“All of the digital marketing, digital retailing, new shopping models, they can't fix a bad product, they can only amplify a good one. That's our entire strategy,” he said.

Europe, however, is a far more complex story that's likely to shift many times before 2030.

Tsars and their cars: When world leaders first took the wheel

Wed, 3 Jun 2026 16:00:00 +0100

Today the US president uses The Beast; a century ago, steam-powered Pullmans proved their worth

We recently mused on the idea of British luxury car makers collaborating on a bespoke, Trump-branded gift for the US president. Of course, there's a long tradition of special vehicles for state leaders, and indeed many of them have been true petrolheads.

'The Donald' may favour big V8s, but the first official car of any US president was powered by steam. It seems it was secretary of war William Taft who instigated the government's purchase of two White Pullman tourers in 1907.

"The cars perform countless missions for the Secret Service men and for other government officials at the 'summer capital," reported Autocar. "They have not been out of commission for an hour, despite the fact that the first 'run to the hill' is at 7am and the last at 1am. The machines are now regarded as absolutely indispensable to the expeditious handling of government work."

No wonder Taft kept using them after replacing Theodore Roosevelt – who famously preferred horseback or a train – as president in 1909.

Other world leaders had been driving for a long time by then. You might assume the first would have been Kaiser Wilhelm II, seeing as the car had been invented in Germany, but he considered it a "transitory phenomenon", not buying in until the 1900s.

Actually, one of the first was, maybe surprisingly, the sultan of Turkey, and Abdulhamid II chose a British EV. With a chassis by the Acme & Immisch Electric Works of London, his dogcart could average 5-6mph for three or four hours.

Several Indian maharajas were also early adopters of motoring although Waghji Rawaji II of Morvi's enthusiasm got the better of him when, on a tour of British industry in 1897, he requested to travel at 40mph.

"At Coventry he was taken out on a car, and the driver 'let her drop' down Meriden Hill," we reported, "the speed probably approximating 20-22mph. Long before they reached the bottom, however, his Highness called for some application of the brake, and expressed himself as fully satisfied with speed travelling. What he would have said had the forty miles speed actually been attained we can well imagine."

His contemporary from Tikari was much braver, coming to Britain in 1906 to actually race his Renault at Brooklands and do the Shelsley Walsh hillclimb in his De Dietrich.

Another eminent Asian motorist was the emir of Afghanistan, having been wowed by a Wolseley-Siddeley on a 1907 tour of India. A few years later he ordered £30,000 worth of machinery from the British firm (£3.1m today) after it successfully traversed the fearsome Khyber Pass. Wanting Afghans to drive and maintain his cars, Habibullah Khan sent a large group to Mumbai to learn the nature of this new invention.

His son would inherit his interest – and on a visit to Britain in 1928, he was given a demonstration of Vickers-Armstrong's madcap new cross-country car, which could switch between normal wheels and a tracked tread.

The Tank Museum today labels this concept as "idiotic", being "very uncomfortable and hard to drive", so it's little surprise that Amanullah Khan didn't buy in. Then again, the tsar of Russia had owned something similar many years prior – a Rolls-Royce with a tracked rear and skis under the front wheels. This was kept in service for Vladimir Lenin after the 1917 communist revolution and still survives in a Moscow museum.

Like old Habibullah, Nicholas II was also an admirer of Wolseley: he gave one to a German princess when she married a Greek prince in 1903.

Enjoy full access to the complete Autocar archive at the magazineshop.com

Cars also found early regal favour in Africa: the sultan of Zanzibar had a Daimler from 1901, then emperor Menelik of Ethiopia took the wheel in 1907-perhaps encouraged by his nephew Ras Makonnen, who had been "most highly interested and delighted" with his first car ride when visiting Birmingham in 1902.

Perhaps the keenest ruler of all, though, was Spain's King Alfonso XIII, who we called 'the motoring monarch'. He enjoyed driving his own cars and in 1921 joined the throng surrounding Chitty Bang Bang on race day at Brooklands.

It shouldn't be underestimated how much clout royalty gave a car maker in this period-as shown by a 1913 Mercedes advert in Autocar.

"The world's best car," it declared. "The car which set the fashion to the world. The car of emperors and kings." Sixteen of them were listed beneath, from our Edward VII and Franz Joseph I of Austria to Japan's Taisho and Egypt's Abbas Hilmi II.

Fiat Grizzly SUV unwrapped as Grande Panda's bigger brother

Wed, 3 Jun 2026 11:12:09 +0100

New family SUV completes the Panda range; will offer choice of petrol, hybrid or electric drivetrains

Fiat has pulled the wraps off its new Grizzly – a larger version of the Grande Panda aimed to give it a footing in Europe's crucial C-segment – after first showing it in parent company Stellantis' recent strategy update.

It will go on sale later this year with two bodystyles: a straight-edged SUV and a more rakish Fastback. It's an affordable family crossover "designed for the three regions" Fiat sells in, according to CEO Olivier François: Europe, Latin America and the Middle East and Africa.

It "completes the Panda and Grande Panda families", he said, "but it's a different animal" that is intended to bolster Fiat's "revenue, margins and brand".

As a bigger sibling to the Grande Panda, it will be built on Stellantis's value-oriented Smart Car platform, which also underpins the similarly positioned Citroën C3 Aircross and Vauxhall Frontera.

The Grizzly is believed to be slightly larger than its siblings, however: Fiat said it's "under 4.5m" long, while the C3 Aircross and Frontera are just under 4.4m long.

It will be offered with the same choice of petrol, hybrid and electric powertrains as the Grande Panda.

The Grizzly forms part of a wave of new Fiat products aimed at bolstering the Italian brand's coverage of the affordable car market and attracting new buyers.

Also on the way is a new four-seat microcar (pictured below in green) to sit above the Citroën Ami-based Topolino and a new electric city car inspired by the original 1980s Panda.

This new sub-£15k entry EV will be produced at Stellantis's Pomigliano plant in Italy alongside a reborn Citroën 2CV, taking heavy design influence from its 1940s forebear.

Unlike Citroën, Fiat didn't go so far as to preview the design of its new entry EV, but François promised that "the real design is not the revival of an icon, it is literally the next icon".

Miles better? The best EV is the one you can't always have

Wed, 3 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0100

When an Audi A5 gets a four-cylinder and the S5 gets a V6, you know what's what, but what about EVs?

If you long for the good old days when BMW model numbers referred to the engine capacity (just don't mention the 3.2-litre 745i, the 1.8-litre 316 or countless others that didn't), I've got bad news for you: the car industry's product planners are hard at work devising new and arcane naming schemes in an effort to not make EVs sound like inkjet printers.

These systems need to be designed, with roughly equal importance, to help customers make sense of batteries and motors on the one hand and to gently upsell them to the more expensive model on the other. I'm not sure they're succeeding with the former, but they're getting the hang of the latter.

I've written in the past about how it's a struggle to make fast EVs truly appealing. When a normal Audi A5 gets a four-cylinder engine and the S5 gets a V6, you know which one you really want. But when the base Q6 EV is silent and already very fast, why would you pay more for an SQ6 that feels broadly the same but has less range?

One possible solution is to subtly downplay the cheaper one and hope nobody notices and just upgrades. If you value order and mathematical regularity, you might have noticed something odd about the line-up of the new Volvo EX60. It goes P6, P10, P12, which begs the question of what happened to the P8. What Volvo has done is give each one a different-sized battery - something it can easily do by filling the pack with more or fewer cells. Notably, the P6's battery is substantially smaller than the P10's.

Because the P6 only has a single motor and is therefore a bit more efficient than the dual-motor P10, the gap in range isn't huge (380 versus 410 miles), but it definitely exists. This hierarchy gives you a neat range walk, in which each version has both more power and range than the one below it. More is better. So buy the spendy one. Simple. BMW has done something similar with the new iX3, giving the single-motor 40 variant a smaller battery than the dual-motor 50. Which brings us back to the case of the missing P8.

Manufacturers don't tend to comment on future products unless they're backed into a corner or want to soft-launch something, so there's nothing official, but it's easy to see what a P8 would look like: big battery, and single motor for a range of around 450 miles. It would be the EX60 we'd recommend, but I don't actually think Volvo will build it. I suspect the illogical naming is partly to keep the option open just in case but mainly to give people another reason to pony up the extra £3000 and go for the one that's not just two but four Ps better.

This whole thing also makes me wonder how much range a person really needs. Until now, the answer has always been more, because when that 300-mile WLTP range turns into a 200-mile real-world range, and you subtract another 50 for comfort, and have to deal with a patchy charging network, you need all the safety net you can get.

Now that we're seeing 500-mile WLTP ranges, 400kW charging and forests of fast chargers popping up at most service stations, you might well be happy to settle for a bit less. When I'm road testing a car, I tend to do between 500 and 600 miles in the week that I have it. The road test involves draining the battery for the low-charge acceleration run and the charging test, and with really long-range EVs like the iX3, that takes a bit of planning. If you do 50 miles a day, it might not need charging for a whole week.

Of course, the counterpoints are being able to drive to the south of France without inconveniencing yourself and the luxury of being able to stop when and where you want, instead of your lunch break being dictated by your car.

So on reflection, I don't think we've seen the end of the range race. Modern EVs probably have 'enough' range, but 'enough' is tedious, isn't it? It's nice to have a bit more. As batteries get smaller and cheaper, small and affordable cars will really benefit and luxury cars can rekindle the days of 1000-mile diesels.

But what to call them? I look forward to the Volvo EX60 Knight Industries Two Thousand. Actually, that does sound a bit like a printer with delusions of grandeur.

BYD Atto 2 DM-i

Wed, 3 Jun 2026 10:30:00 +0100

Small electric crossover is retrofitted with a petrol engine to bring plug-in hybrid motoring down below £30,000 Would you take a plug-in hybrid from a lesser-known Chinese brand for the same price as a mild hybrid from a familiar European one? It will be revealing to see how many say yes, as the BYD Atto 2 DM-i is rolled out.Other firms’ market research suggests that compact crossover buyers aren’t so interested in PHEV powertrains (perhaps because these tend to serve as a household’s second car, which doesn’t typically get the overnight parking berth next to the charger), so PHEV options in the ‘B-SUV’ class (Ford Puma, Skoda Kamiq etc) are rare. Indeed, rival Chinese brand Chery has decided to go with a simpler 'self-charging' hybrid system for its Tiggo 4 and the popular MG ZS has never been pluggable.But even if its price does overlap with that of the notably larger Sealion 5 PHEV, the Atto 2 might just prove that there is an appetite for PHEVs of this kind after all. (And BYD isn’t stopping here: its new Dolphin G will bring PHEV choice to the supermini market later this year).But with umpteen electrified ‘baby’ SUVs you could already choose from, does the Atto 2 deserve a spot on your shopping list - and is it best-served with hybrid or fully electric power? Let’s find out.

Siemens to partner 2026 Autocar Awards

Wed, 3 Jun 2026 08:49:37 +0100

The industry's brightest minds and best cars will be announced on 10 June

Autocar is delighted to announce the return of Siemens as our partner for the 2026 Autocar Awards, continuing a highly successful collaboration that began last year.

The partnership unites the world’s oldest automotive publication with a global leader in industrial software, automation, infrastructure and digital transformation. Together, we will celebrate the finest cars and the visionary industry leaders shaping the automotive industry.

"We are thrilled to welcome Siemens back as our Partner for the 2026 Autocar Awards," said Mark Tisshaw, editor of Autocar. "Last year's partnership was a tremendous success, highlighting the shared values we have dedicated to excellence and innovation in the automotive industry.

"The Autocar Awards are unique in not just celebrating the great cars but the great people who have helped make them. We're delighted to be able to do that alongside Siemens once more."

The winners of the 2026 Autocar Awards will be announced on Wednesday 10 June across all of our print and digital channels. An awards ceremony to honour our winners in person will take place on the evening of 9 June in central London.

Uday Senapati, global head of automotive, Siemens, said: “We’re proud to partner with Autocar again to celebrate an industry that continues to push the boundaries of innovation.

"From software and AI to advanced engineering, the automotive industry is evolving at pace and the highly skilled people across the sector are at the heart of this transformation. The Autocar Awards are a powerful way to recognise that talent and the role it plays in shaping the future of mobility.”

Key people awards include the Issigonis Trophy, which will be handed out to the industry's highest achiever, and our lead innovation award, the Sturmey Award. Other people awards will go the leading designer and engineer for the year and to the industry's outstanding leaders, both in the UK and globally.

Car trophies include those that go to the recipients of a coveted Autocar Five-Star road test verdict and to our Britain's Best Cars award winners.

Exclusive: New Westfield owner plans German factory, more models

Wed, 3 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0100

Dutch-German track day operator Driving-Fun will move sports car specialist's production out of Britain

Westfield, the sports and kit car manufacturer founded in the Midlands 44 years ago as a rival to Caterham, has been sold to a Dutch-German company after going into voluntary liquidation.

Driving-Fun, one of Europe’s largest track day organisers, plans to continue building existing Westfield models and develop new road and racing models for what it sees as a strong and active body of enthusiasts.

Since its formation in 1982, Westfield is estimated to have put around 16,000 cars on the road.

Its new ownerm Dutch-born Peter Tunissen, founded Driving-Fun from scratch 20 years ago instead of going to university like his friends. Today, his company stages more than 100 track days per year, owns two hotels at the Nürburgring and has its headquarters at a track of its own, Circuit Meppen, located about three hours east of Amsterdam, just over the German border in Lower Saxony.

Circuit Meppen is located the grounds of a former power station, where Driving-Fun already has a 10,000sq ft factory that Tunissen believes will be ideal for the continuing manufacture of Westfield cars and kits, as well as the spare parts that he already knows are urgently needed by existing owners.

Tunissen said his deal extends only to the Westfield side of the failed UK business. The Chesil side, set up to manufacture Porsche 356 replicas, remains unsold, although the UK vendors say “conversations” are currently under way with potential buyers.

Westfield’s former boss, Nigel Trilk, said he knows Driving-Fun and Tunissen well from previous contacts and believes he is “a very positive person with great vision”.

Tunissen made clear that the Westfield acquisition “is definitely not just a routine business decision”. For years he admired the British-built cars’ combination of high performance and affordability and eventually decided to join the Netherlands’ thriving Westfield Cup racing series, which has been popular for decades and, unlike many series, survived the Covid pandemic in a healthy state.

Today, Tunissen uses Westfields for arrive-and-drive customers at Driving-Fun, as well as running more serious race cars. He estimates that there are around 60 race-eligible cars in the Netherlands alone, plus 300 road cars in the country's thriving Westfield Club.

However, he is acutely aware of the concerns of the UK’s much larger Westfield community, spearheaded by its “amazing” Westfield Sports Car Club.

Although it's less than a month since he started discussing a deal, Tunissen is already talking to two Westfield-literate UK businesses and will soon choose one to become the company’s hub in this country.

The ambition, he said, is to make increasingly rare spares freely available as soon as possible and to contain costs that might otherwise become inflated by uncontrolled EU importation costs.

For the future, Tunissen and Driving-Fun intend to have their new manufacturing facility running as soon as possible and to develop the cars along racing lines to suit customers’ well-communicated desires.

The previous owners recognised that too but never quite managed to get a range of well-developed models to market.

Tunissen is likely to benefit from some of that previous product development work, which ran to “several millions” of investment in chassis and engine development.

In the meantime, to signal his ambition and good intentions, Tunissen is planning a Europe-wide Westfield owners’ jamboree at Circuit Meppen on 21-23 August, hoping especially to attract many UK visitors.

He said he will work at top speed in the meantime “to have something good to show our visitors.”

More details will soon be available via a new website, but Tunissen invites all enquirers to contact him via westfieldsportscars@circuitmeppen.com in the meantime.

Westfield's history

Westfield was established in 1982 by engineer, racer and Lotus enthusiast Chris Smith, who named both the new business and its cars after his house in Dudley, just west of Birmingham.

He started making fibreglass-bodied, selectively re-engineered versions of the Lotus Seven and Lotus XI but within a few years ran into legal trouble with Caterham, whose owner Graham Nearn had bought rights to the Seven directly from Lotus founder Colin Chapman.

The Westfield Seven’s shape was altered to the court's satisfaction and it became the Westfield SE, the company’s most successful model, which until recently was still in production.

In 2007, Smith sold the Westfield business to Frank Turner, a former director of Lucas Aerospace, who with his son Julian turned it to engineering projects as well as continuing car making.

Under the Turners, Westfield built the famous autonomous passenger pods at Heathrow Airport, then acquired Chesil before hitting the buffers in 2022.

The third British ownership, voluntarily terminated when a key investor recently and abruptly withdrew, lasted only four years before Peter Tunissen's Driving-Fun took over this month.

Leapmotor B05 to bring 300-mile range for £29k – we've already driven it

Wed, 3 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0100

New mid-sized electric hatchback is a value-focused Cupra Born rival – but is it up to the task?

The Leapmotor B05 electric hatchback will arrive in UK showrooms in July, priced from £28,995.

Undercutting the rival Cupra Born and Renault Megane, it offers an official range of 300 miles and can be charged at up to 174kW, giving a 30-80% refill time of 17 minutes.

It sends 215bhp and 177lb ft through its rear wheels for a competitive 0-62mph sprint time of 6.7sec.

The B05 will be offered in just one trim level, bringing a panoramic sunroof, 19in alloy wheels, electrically adjustable front seats and a 14.6in infotainment touchscreen that controls many key functions.

Autocar has already had an early taste of the B05 in its native China. Our first impressions can be read below:

Leapmotor B05: China's Golf shows signs of promise

In China, the Leapmotor B05 electric hatchback is called the Lafa 5 – the only model in the firm’s rapidly growing line-up with a ‘proper’ name. What pressing corporate strategy underpins that decision? Apparently company founder Jangling Zhu thought it sounded nice.

That’s according to Tianshu Xin, CEO of Leapmotor International, the joint venture with Stellantis that distributes the firm’s cars internationally. He says Zhu “wanted something different” because “this car is very sporty and aimed at different customers”.

Disappointingly, the Lafa 5 has been rebranded the B05 for international markets so that it fits more logically into the line-up alongside the similarly sized B10 SUV. Although 'B' is used by Leapmotor for what are traditionally C-segment models, so make of that what you will.

Regardless of its name, a short early taste of the B05 on a Chinese test track suggests Zhu is right that this is a different propositio from the firm’s other models – and one not without some appeal.

Measuring just under 4.5m long with a wheelbase of 2.7m, the B05 sits in classic Volkswagen Golf family hatchback territory – although as an EV with a rear-mounted motor powering the back axle, the Volkswagen ID 3 Neo is a more direct comparison.

But I mention the Golf because there are definite hints of Wolfsburg’s finest in the styling of the B05. No bad thing, I’d say. It’s actually quite pleasant up close and definitely not another generic Chinese offering.

The standard B05 is offered with a range of power outputs and battery sizes, although the UK will only take the most powerful version with the biggest battery. That means it will offer 215bhp of power, yielding a 0-62mph time of 6.7sec, with a 67.1kWh battery giving a range of 300 miles on the WLTP test cycle. Efficiency officially averages 3.91mpkWh and it can be fast charged at up to 170kW. That’s competitive for a car of this class.

The B05 features Leapmotor’s ‘cell-to-chassis’ battery pack, which is integrated into the car’s structure, allowing the cabin to sit a bit lower to the ground than some skateboard-platform EVs.

It has MacPherson suspension struts up front and a multi-link arrangement at the rear, and Leapmotor claims the chassis has been co-tuned with Stellantis to match European expectations.

The B05 also has frameless doors, which are somewhat rare on a car of this class and price point. Leapmotor seems very proud of them, and they do add a touch of class.

Inside, there’s a big 14.6in HD touchscreen and an 8.8in LCD driver display. My test car was in full Chinese spec, and my Mandarin wasn’t good enough to delve through every sub-menu, but through the screen you can set the drive modes (Normal, Eco and Sport) and adjust the brake regen and steering speed.

There aren’t as many buttons as I'd like, although key controls are at least hard-coded to the bottom of the touchscreen. I’d have liked more steering wheel adjustment, especially since the driver display seemed to be mounted unusually close to the wheel.

But it’s otherwise a comfortable place to sit. It’s light, thanks to a panoramic sunroof, and the materials feel hard-wearing, if not exactly premium. There’s plentiful storage, the front and rear seats are comfortable, there’s a 345-litre boot and there's a notable amount of space in both the front and back of the cabin.

My test car featured a few quirks, such as a fold-out tray table on the passenger side of the dashboard, which probably won’t reach the UK.

It’s worth noting the generous kit list is standard. The only option will be a choice of interior colours – and even then the choice will be light or dark grey.

I won’t pretend that a few laps of a short Chinese test track are enough to form any definitive impressions of the B05’s dynamics (or how its ADAS functions might function in the real world), but it’s clear there’s some potential here – if you keep expectations in check.

This isn’t a rocketship EV under acceleration, but it’s responsive enough, and its handling is quite direct. It maintained reasonable composure when trying to corner vigorously, with body roll kept reasonably in check. Over speed bumps and a cobbled section, the ride held up well.

UK pricing is yet to be finalised, but the B10 starts from a shade under £30,000, so you can slot this in below that. Which could make it a tempting prospect as an affordable alternative to the likes of the ID3 Neo, Cupra Born and Renault Megane.

Verdict

The B05 adds a whiff of dynamism to the Leapmotor formula. It feels unlikely to match class leaders, but stylish design and plenty of kit could make it a tempting budget alternative.

Leapmotor B05: Specification
Price	£28,995
Engine	Permanent magnet synchronous motor
Power	215bhp
Torque	177lb ft
Gearbox	1-spd reduction, RWD
Kerb weight	1700kg (est)
0-62mph	6.7sec
Top speed	na
Battery	67.1kWh (total)
Range, economy	300 miles, 3.91mpkWh
CO2, tax band	0g/km, 4%

How Stellantis tie-up can protect JLR's crucial US business

Wed, 3 Jun 2026 05:00:00 +0100

Stellantis's partnership with JLR came as a shock, but there are many reasons why it makes sense

Perhaps the most eye-popping news coming out of the Stellantis investor day on 21 May was that the 14-brand company is working with JLR to “create synergies across product and technology development”, focused on the US.

After dropping that bombshell, executives firmly sealed their lips, leaving a void to be filled by fevered theories. What are we talking here? Land Rovers based on Jeeps?

But later in the day, CEO Antonio Filosa added this detail in his Q&A session with analysts: that the deal could include “capacity-sharing”, ie JLR building cars in Stellantis’s US plants.

Suddenly it started to make sense. Filosa went on to say that “the new trade conditions makes our installed capacity [in the US] very attractive to many other competitors or potential partners”.

North America is now JLR’s biggest market, as China’s wealthy car buyers shift to local brands. But that shift has coincided with the US’s sudden divergence from the rest of the world. Under Donald Trump, emissions legislation has been gutted, removing the need to electrify ICE vehicles in any way. You don’t even need stop-start any more.

For a relatively small global player such as JLR, creating cars just for the US is expensive. Ideally, car makers want legislation to converge globally. Instead the world’s biggest markets are fragmenting at a speed that is horrifying executives.

At the same time, the US has increased tariffs on imported cars – 10% from the UK and 15% from the EU. Suddenly all Land Rover models are way more expensive than locally built competition, including BMW and Mercedes-Benz SUVs.

So enter Stellantis. The question is, how deep could this collaboration go? You don’t need to puff too hard on the magic tailpipe to imagine the ‘Defender Heritage’, a Hemi V8 off-roader atop the Jeep Grand Wagoneer’s frame, leaning hard on classic design cues and filling out spare capacity at the Stellantis plant in Warren, Michigan.

Depending on how well this collaboration goes, JLR could even produce the next Defender entirely in the US, leaving its Slovakian plant to build electrified models more suited to the European and Chinese markets.

Both JLR and Stellantis need (and have promised) to improve quality levels, but their partnership could well dig JLR out of a hole created by the rapid collapse of globalisation.

New BMW M2 gains four-wheel-drive option for £74k

Tue, 2 Jun 2026 23:01:00 +0100

Rear-biased 4WD system comes alongside new pre-combustion tech for M division's straight-six engine

The BMW M2 is now available with the option of four-wheel drive for the first time, meaning every M car can now be had with two driven axles.

The M2 xDrive has been revealed ahead of it going on sale in late summer, priced from £74,255 - around £4000 more than the standard rear-driven M2.

That's also around £12,000 more than its closest comparable rival, the five-cylinder, 4WD Audi RS3 hot hatch; the M2 is now the only mainstream two-door sports coupé on the market, having outlived the Porsche 718 Cayman, Toyota GR Supra, Alpine A110, Jaguar F-Type and Audi TT RS.

It's powered by the same 3.0-litre turbocharged 'S58' straight six as the existing M2 but gains a new pre-chamber combustion process, dubbed M Ignite, which will be rolled out to all M cars from mid-2026 to make them compliant with the new Euro 7 emissions rules.

BMW said this new technology, developed in racing, "significantly reduces fuel consumption under high loads" while maintaining the performance characteristics of the S58: "instantaneous response and linear power development into the higher reaches of the rev range".

It also still offers an "emotionally stirring soundtrack", according to BMW.

As with the xDrive versions of its bigger M3 and M4 brothers, the all-paw M2 trims the 0-62mph sprint time slightly, from 4.0sec to 3.7sec, and comes equipped with the Active M differential which varies power across the rear axle to improve grip and poise.

BMW said this means it "offers drivers the inimitable M feeling through all four seasons of the year, in almost any road conditions and in all weathers, without any trade-off in performance".

In normal driving, the M2 xDrive still drives its rear wheels exclusively, with the fronts called upon when they can't send any more power to the road.

It can also be locked in two-wheel-drive mode, with the DSC deactivated - which "unlocks a driving experience of remarkable purity".

Whereas the rear-driven M2 can be optioned with a manual gearbox, the M2 xDrive is automatic-only.

Bentley Flying Spur gets fresh look and 671bhp S variant

Tue, 2 Jun 2026 15:26:33 +0100

Styling update brings luxury saloon in line with the Continental GT – and an option costing £25,000

Bentley has updated the Flying Spur to bring its styling into line with the Continental GT, as well as reprising the sporting S model.

Chief among the design tweaks is the move from the signature quad-light front fascia to a more conventional twin-lamp arrangement.

That makes the new Spur the first Bentley saloon with two headlights since production of the S2 ended 64 years ago.

Meanwhile, the small vent on the front wings has been removed and the boot now has smoother surfacing.

The S variant returns with a plug-in-hybrid powertrain that combines a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine with a single electric motor for 671bhp and 686lb ft of torque.

This is delivered to all four wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox and an electronic limited-slip differential.

This allows the 2.5-tonne limousine to complete the 0-62mph sprint in 3.6sec, before topping out at 191mph.

The S also receives the active anti-roll bars and dampers used by the hardcore Speed and extra-luxurious Mulliner models, said to have been tweaked to “deliver maximum sporting appeal”.

Alongside the new look, the Flying Spur gains the Naim for Mulliner sound system that was developed for the limited-run Bentley Batur – an option that costs £25,000 before taxes.

Order books for the new Flying Spur are open now, with customer deliveries due to begin between October and December this year.

New Rolls-Royce Spectre boosts power and claims 390-mile range

Tue, 2 Jun 2026 13:00:00 +0100

New BMW battery cells boost Rolls EV's range by 18%, while max power nudges towards 700bhp

Rolls-Royce has updated its Spectre electric coupé, giving the 'Series II' a longer range, a raft of new personalisation options and more power than any previous Rolls.

This comes four years after the British luxury brand introduced its debut EV, which has since surpassed the V12-powered Ghost saloon and Phantom limo to become its second-best-seller, after the Cullinan SUV.

The Series II brings a host of technical advancements that should feature on Rolls' second EV, a Cullinan-style large SUV expected in 2027.

Chief among these is a new battery cell technology, coming courtesy of parent company BMW.

It is said to increase the Spectre's maximum range by 18%, from 329 to 390 miles, and cut charging times by 14%.

The new 'Gen6' cylindrical cells are the same as those fitted to the facelifted BMW i7, where they boost range and charging speeds by a similar amount by virtue of better cooling and greater energy density.

Like the 17, however, the Spectre continues to use a 400V electrical architecture.

Both versions of the Spectre are now more powerful. The standard dual-motor, four-wheel-drive powertrain puts out 593bhp, up from 577bhp, while the more performance-oriented Black Badge edition gains a 21bhp uplift to pump out 671bhp – as much as a Le Mans hypercar.

Torque is up too: in Normal mode, the regular Series II has as much as 749lb ft at its disposal, while the Black Badge can call on a thumping 811lb ft in its Spirited mode.

Equal focus has been placed on expanding the range of personalisation measures that Spectre buyers can apply through Rolls-Royce's increasingly lucrative Bespoke division.

As well as a new Ethereal Blue factory paint option and striking hand-finished 23in wheels, the Spectre can now be equipped with a "significantly expanded" range of interior trim options and an iced Black exterior package that swaps most of the chrome elements for matt black items.

Rolls-Royce quotes an entry price of £300,000 for the Series II but, because so many are so intricately customised, it's rare that two examples of the Spectre are the same and many cost far more than that. The average Rolls sold in the UK ends up costing more than £500,000.

New options

Duality twill

New for the Series II is a bamboo-based rayon upholstery embroidered with an 'RR' logo pattern. It can incorporate up to 2.6 million stitches and 10 miles of thread and takes up to 25 hours to put together.

Placed perforation

Buyers can have their leather seats laser-cut to reveal 'unique artworks underneath'. This night sky motif comprises nearly 80,000 individual holes.

Interior panel

LED dashboard display - inspired by the mist of the South Downs in Sussex - has been expanded across the car and now features 8108 individual pixels. There's a new clock too, influenced by 'precision aviation instruments'.

Brindled walnut

'Tiger stripe' veneer is made using wood from non-fruiting walnut trees and eucalyptus fibres. It's sealed with 'a fine powder of glass flakes' for a shimmering effect.

The first SUV made by every major car-maker

Tue, 2 Jun 2026 09:39:00 +0100

As SUVs continue their rise in global sales charts, we take a look at where the story started for all the most important manufacturers

In the year 2000, sport utility vehicles, or SUVs, still occupied a relatively small niche in the global car industry.

Today they commonplace, and only highly specialised manufacturers can get away without having at least one SUV in their ranges. In this gallery we're going to see which manufacturers have been in the SUV business for decades, and which have recently been forced into it due to customer demand. Researching this subject is complicated by the fact that there is no single, universally-agreed definition of an SUV, but that's the nature of the game.

Here, then, are the first SUVs produced by 50 manufacturers, listed in alphabetical order:

Acura: MDX

The first SUV marketed by Honda's luxury brand was in fact the SLX, but this was simply a rebadged second-generation Isuzu Trooper, which seems unsatisfying.

Acura made its proper SUV debut in 2000 with the launch of the MDX, which was closely related to the Honda Pilot and shared a platform with several other Honda models. The fourth-generation MDX went into production in January 2021.

Alfa Romeo: Stelvio

Alfa Romeo is one of many manufacturers on this list who would not have been suspected of venturing into SUV territory in the recent past. In fact, Alfa produced the Jeep-like Matta in the early 1950s, but only in very small numbers, and mostly for military use.

The Stelvio is a true crossover SUV in the modern sense, and has been built in large numbers since 2016. The Quadrifoglio version is one of the fastest SUVs in the world, with a 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 engine which produces slightly more than 500bhp.

Aston Martin: DBX

Never a company to rush into things with unseemly haste, Aston Martin left a gap of well over a century between building its first car and entering the SUV market. The DBX is one of the very small number of road vehicles ever to have been built in Wales.

It is also even more powerful than the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio, with a maximum output of 542bhp from its 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine, which is supplied by Mercedes-Benz. In 2021, the DBX became the official medical car for all rounds of the F1 World Championship. In 2022 a new 707 version launched, now with a 697bhp (707 PS) engine, and in 2024 it became the only DBX you could buy.

Audi: Q7

The Audi Q7 is closely related to the Porsche Cayenne and Volkswagen Touareg, but went into production three years later, towards the end of 2005. From 2008 to 2012, it was available with a 6.0-litre V12 TDI turbo diesel which produced just under 500bhp. This engine has never been fitted to any other production car.

The Q7 was the first Audi SUV, and the largest by some margin until the launch of the similarly-sized Audi Q8 in 2018.

Bentley: Bentayga

The Bentayga made its public debut at the 2012 Geneva Show in the form of the EXP 9 F concept. For the production version, Bentley considerably toned down the styling, which had been greeted with dismay in some quarters.

The Bentayga was unveiled in Frankfurt in 2015, and went into production a few months later. The available engines included V8 and W12 petrol units, all twin-turbocharged. A diesel version was even briefly available. A hybrid version with a 3.0-litre single-turbo V6 engine went on sale in 2018.

BMW: X5

Among the late adopters, BMW has been in the SUV game for a relatively long time. The first-generation X5 (of four to date) made its debut in 1999. Several high-performance models have been developed since then. All of them have been named X5 M.

Every generation of X5 has been built at the BMW Spartanburg plant in Greer, South Carolina, though other facilities around the world have also been used. Spartanburg is the only BMW factory in North America, and produces around 450,000 SUVs a year.

Buick: Rendezvous

Buick's first SUV went on sale in 2001 and survived for six years. Although it had a fairly short career, the Rendezvous was a successful model - notably more so, in fact, than its corporate cousin, the Pontiac Aztek, which was built alongside the Rendezvous at the GM Ramos Arizpe factory in Mexico.

Since both vehicles were designed well for their purpose, the reason for the difference in their fortunes is clear. The Rendezvous's styling was quirky in some ways but mostly conventional, while that of the Aztek verged on the bizarre.

Cadillac: Escalade

Cadillac entered the SUV market with a bang in 1998 when it put the original Escalade on sale. This and the four subsequent versions have been technically related to other, cheaper SUVs marketed by Chevrolet and GMC.

Generations two to five have included the long-wheelbase Escalade ESV. ESV stands for 'Escalade Stretched Vehicle', but the full name is almost never used. The Escalade currently dominates the full-size luxury SUV market in the United States.

Chevrolet: Suburban

Chevrolet Suburban is the longest-running nameplate in the global motor industry, having been introduced in 1935. The current, 12th-generation Suburban is definitely an SUV, and the original model definitely wasn't. Identifying the change-over point is tricky, but a case could be made for the model sold between in 1960 and 1966 (pictured).

This generation had a lot of ground clearance, and was available with four-wheel drive. The same could be said of the previous model, but in today's terms that one is more likely to be described as an MPV.The '60 Suburban was also sold as the GMC Carryall, and could therefore also be called the first GMC SUV.

Chrysler: Pacifica

The Pacifica was an early example of a crossover SUV, a type of vehicle which was starting to become extremely popular worldwide. The appeal, then as now, was a combination of plenty of interior space, a high seating position and a more-or-less car-like driving experience.

However, despite the combined might of Chrysler and Daimler-Benz, which had joined forces in 1998, the Pacifica was not a great success. Launched in early 2003 for the 2004 model year, it was discontinued before the end of 2007.

Citroën: C-Crosser

Citroën eased itself into the SUV market with the C-Crosser, which went on sale in 2007. Like the Peugeot 4007, it was essentially a rebadged second-generation Mitsubishi Outlander, though one of the available engines (a 2.2-litre turbo diesel) was provided by the French companies. (Mitsubishi also used this, along with a 2.0-litre version supplied by Volkswagen and a 2.3 of its own devising.)

The association lasted only from 2007 to 2012. Mitsubishi kept the Outlander to itself from the third generation, while Citroën and Peugeot went their own way.

Dacia: Duster

Anyone who says that Romanian brand Dacia's first SUV was the Duster is correct to an extent, but if they mean the model introduced in 2010, they're wrong. The original Duster was launched in 1980. It was really an ARO 10, but there was a strong Dacia connection.

The mechanicals were taken from the Dacia 1300, the Romanian version of the Renault 12. This vehicle was sold briefly in the UK as the Dacia Duster, many years before today's Duster came on the scene.

Dodge: Town Wagon

As with the Chevrolet Suburban mentioned previously, determining whether the Dodge Town Wagon was an SUV is very difficult because it was built so long ago. Introduced in 1956, it was a passenger version of the Town Panel truck, launched two years earlier. It had the requisite height and interior space, but it was sold only with rear-wheel drive. At the very least, it could be described as a cross between an SUV and a people-carrier.

If that doesn't sound convincing, try the 1957 Town Wagon Power Wagon. This was basically a regular Town Wagon, except that it had even greater ride height and four-wheel drive. Sounds like an SUV to us.

DS: DS6

Since DS was founded (as a brand of Citroën) as recently as 2009, it's not surprising that its first SUV hasn't been around for very long. The DS 6 was a luxury crossover built in - and only intended to be sold in - China, where it hit the streets in 2014.

The DS 7 Crossback was the brand's first SUV available in Europe. It made its debut in 2017.

Fiat: Panda 4x4

Adding four-wheel drive to an existing model does not make it an SUV, but there is a case for including the first-generation Panda 4x4 to this list. Launched in 1983, it had a 965cc version of the old Fiat 100 Series engine and was accordingly very slow indeed.

But it also had a four-wheel drive system developed by Austrian company Steyr-Puch. This was outstandingly effective, and made the 4x4 incredibly capable off-road. Many crossover SUVs on sale today would get stuck a long time before the Panda did.

Ford: Bronco

The Ford Bronco, which first appeared in late 1965, was built using the then-traditional body-on-frame method of placing a non-structurral bodyshell on a separate chassis. It was powered initially by a straight-six engine, though a V8 was soon be added to the range.

In today's terms, it would be described as a compact SUV. The second-generation model, launched for the 1978 model year, was significantly larger. Bronco production continued across five generations until 1996. A sixth version, with retro styling which bears some resemblance to the first model, went on sale in 2021 and sells well.

Honda: CR-V

Honda first sold an SUV back in 1993, but that model - known as the Passport - was really just an Isuzu Rodeo with different badging. It was followed in 1995 by the first-generation CR-V. Unlike the body-on-frame Passport, the CR-V had unibody construction, and was an early example of a crossover SUV.

Hondas with CR-V badging have remained in production ever since. The nameplate continues to be one of the best-selling vehicles in America.

Hyundai: Santa Fe

Hyundai was another manufacturer which initially dipped its toe into the SUV swimming pool with outside help. The 1991 Hyundai Galloper was a variant of the Mitsubishi Shogun.

The South Korean company's own first effort was the Santa Fe, which appeared in 2000 and quickly became popular, especially in the US. The Santa Fe has remained a success since.

Infiniti: QX4

As the luxury arm of Nissan, Infiniti was able to create its first SUV without developing one from scratch or putting its own badges on a model from a different manufacturer. The Infiniti QX4, launched in 1996, was a variant of the second-generation Nissan Pathfinder introduced the previous year.

There was more to this than simple badge engineering. The QX4 had an upgraded interior, and was fitted only with refined V6 petrol engines. The four-cylinder diesels available in the Pathfinder were not carried over.

Isuzu: Trooper

The Trooper was built for over 20 years across two generations. The earlier model, launched in 1981, was available as a short-wheelbase three-door, a long-wheelbase five-door and a not particularly popular short-wheelbase convertible.

This Trooper was also sold by other manufacturers, such as Chevrolet, Holden, SsangYong and Subaru. That process continued with the second-generation Trooper, which was rebadged as an Acura, a Honda and a Vauxhall, among other examples. In fact we recently worked out that this SUV bore no fewer than 11 different names.

Jaguar: F-Pace

Jaguar was for many years one of several manufacturers which could have been listed in a column headed They'll Never Build An SUV, and indeed former parent Ford reserved that role for sister firm Land Rover. Under new ownership, the company freed itself from these shackles with the launch of the F-Pace in 2016.

Rather than pinch one from Land Rover, Jaguar used its own platform, which had previously formed the basis for the XE and XF saloons. It then formed the basis of the Range Rover Velar, but that was introduced a year after the F-Pace.

Jeep: CJ-2A

The original Jeep, arguably the very first SUV of all, was built by both Ford and Willys for the US Army during World War II.

In 1945, Willys went into production with the first civilian version, the CJ-2A. Over 200,000 were built before production switched to the new CJ-3A model in 1949.

Kia: Sportage

Kia in 1993 was a very different company from Kia today. Back then, the best reason for buying one of its cars was that it didn't cost very much. That was certainly the case with the first-generation Sportage, which was a long way from being any manufacturer's finest SUV debut.

The model remained in production for 12 years before being replaced by the outstandingly better second Sportage. Examples of the original version sold in European market were built by Karmann in Germany for a while, though that arrangement had ended by the turn of the century.

Lada: Niva

The Lada Niva made its debut in 1977 and is, remarkably, still on sale on its home market, where it is known as the Niva Legend to distinguish it from the more modern Niva Travel. The Niva was designed to appeal to customers in rural Russia, where road conditions can be challenging.

It’s always been praised for its off-road performance. Experts in this field have rated the Niva very highly, especially given its low price.

Lamborghini: LM002

Contrary to popular belief, the Urus is not the first SUV produced by Lamborghini. That was the LM002, which was manufactured in small numbers from 1986 to 1993. Without the current pressure on nearly every manufacturer to add at least one SUV to its range, the LM002 seemed an odd sort of vehicle for a company specialising in very powerful sports cars to produce.

However, it should be remembered that Lamborghini started out as a maker of tractors, moving into cars only when company founder Ferruccio Lamborghini (1916-1993) decided he could do a better job than Ferrari.

Land Rover: Series 1

Second only to the Jeep CJ-2A, the Land Rover Series I was among the earliest SUVs ever developed for civilian use. The 'series' Land Rovers led more or less directly to the Defender, which was discontinued in January 2016, just under 68 years after the launch of the Series I.

Early models were marketed by Rover. Land Rover did not become a company until it was created (as a subsidiary of British Leyland) in 1978. The same basic model, offered in a variety of forms, was the only one produced by the brand until the introduction of the first-generation Discovery in 1989.

Lexus: LX

Like Infiniti, Lexus was able to create its first SUV by altering a model already being produced by its parent brand. The Lexus LX was a more luxurious version of the body-on-frame Toyota Land Cruiser launched in 1990.

The LX appeared six years later with slightly altered styling, a more luxurious interior and an engine choice limited to a single 4.5-litre straight-six petrol unit - none of the diesel engines used in the Land Cruiser were carried over. Lexus rapidly followed the LX up with the 1998 RX unibody crossover, sold in Japan as the Toyota Harrier.

Lincoln: Navigator

As with Infiniti and Lexus, so with Lincoln. The first SUV produced by Ford's luxury brand was an upmarket version of the Ford Expedition, successor to the Ford Bronco mentioned previously.

The bodyshells of the two vehicles were identical, but Lincoln made several changes to the appearance and ensured that the Navigator was better-equipped than the cheaper Ford. Both models were replaced by the second-generation examples of their nameplates in 2002.

Maserati: Levante

Described by its maker as "the Maserati of SUVs", the SUV of Maseratis first went on sale in 2016. The company had made its intention to join the segment clear well in advance. The Kubang SUV concept was unveiled in 2011.

Although it predictably out-sold Maserati's sports cars, the Levante was not universally admired. In our first road test, we described it as a "mildly interesting also-ran".

Mazda: Tribute

During the 1990s, Mazda sold SUVs called Navajo and Proceed Levante, but these were simply rebadged versions of the Ford Explorer and Suzuki Vitara respectively. The first SUV which Mazda was strongly involved in designing was the Tribute of 2000.

This was in fact a joint venture involving Ford, which had recently become a one-third shareholder in Mazda. The Tribute was also sold both as the Ford Escape and, from the 2005 model year, as the Mercury Mariner.

Mercedes-Benz: G-Wagen

The SUV now known as the G-Class was originally called the G-Wagen, short for Geländewagen, or "off-road vehicle". Launched in 1979, there was nothing "lifestyle" or "crossover" about it. It was a serious, old-school 4x4, with body-on-frame construction, angular styling, three locking differentials, and plenty of military customers.

More recently, the G-Class has been available with six wheels and a V12 engine producing over 600bhp. In some cases, the modern versions are unlikely to be used off-road, and are therefore - ironically - more "lifestyle" than the original model.

MG: GS

Complaints that a particular car was "not a true MG" date back at least as far as the introduction of the SA saloon in 1935. The same thing would probably have been said of the brand's first SUV, though since MG had been in Chinese hands for a decade before the launch of the GS in 2015 it's unlikely that staunch British enthusiasts were paying much attention any more.

The GS was joined by the smaller ZS in 2017, and replaced by the HS a year after that.

Mini: Countryman

Having made a fine job of the MINI hatchback, BMW began to apply the same principle with other types of vehicles, not always with happy results (see the Coupe, Roadster and Paceman).

The Countryman, launched in 2010, demonstrated how difficult it was to use the familiar MINI styling cues on an SUV. On the positive side, the Countryman could accommodate two six-foot adults in the back, a feat unachievable in any other MINI up to that point. It was also the first model available with the ALL4 four-wheel drive system, which was subsequently used on other models.

Mitsubishi: Shogun

Mitsubishi built Jeeps for 45 years from 1953 to 1998, but did so under licence from Willys, which (as we saw previously) had put the first civilian version into production. The Japanese company increased its involvement in SUVs by launching its own vehicle - known as the Shogun, Pajero and Montero in different markets - in 1981.

Four years later, a heavily modified derivative took the first of what would become 12 overall victories in the Dakar Rally. Built across four generations, the Shogun (etc.) lasted for nearly as long as the Mitsubishi Jeep. It was discontinued on its 40th anniversary in 2021.

Nissan: Patrol

Nissan Patrol is one of the world's longest-lived SUV nameplates. The first model, introduced in 1951, bore some resemblance to the Willys Jeep, but by the launch of the third-generation model (pictured) in 1980 the Japanese brand had gone its own way on styling.

Although the current version is unrecognisably different from the one built in 1951, the Patrol name is still being used today.

Peugeot: 4007

Like the Citroën C-Crosser mentioned previously, the short-lived 4007 was a second-generation Mitsubishi Outlander with a different badge and a smaller range of engines.

The 4007 was launched in 2007 and discontinued in 2012. By the time of the latter event, Peugeot had already been selling the 3008 (closely related to the 5008 MPV) for four years.

Porsche: Cayenne

The Cayenne went on sale in 2002, the same year as the closely related Volkswagen Touareg. Many observers thought that deviating so far from its tradition of building sports cars was not the sort of thing Porsche should be doing. The Cayenne's early sales success showed that the company had in fact chosen the right policy.

Porsche did, however, respond to criticism of the original Cayenne's bug-eyed appearance, which was modified considerably for the second-generation model.

Renault: Scenic RX4

Readers who objected to the inclusion of the Fiat Panda 4x4 on this list won't be impressed by what follows either, but here goes anyway. Renault launched the Megane hatchback in 1995, and two years later used it as the basis for the Scenic MPV. In 2000, it introduced the Scenic RX4, which had part-time four-wheel drive, revised suspension and a much greater ride height.

The RX4 performed well off-road which is enough to persuade us that it was an SUV. It wasn't great on tarmac roads, though, and Renault did not replace it when the Scenic moved into its second generation in 2003.

Rolls-Royce: Cullinan

Perhaps more than any other vehicle of the past decade, Rolls-Royce's first SUV was regarded as a sign that civilisation was about to collapse. In fact, the world has continued to function since the Cullinan was launched in 2018. The big 4x4 with its twin-turbocharged 6.75-litre V12 has been a big success for the company, and is now its best-selling model.

Unusually for an SUV, the Cullinan is based on an aluminium spaceframe. Known as the Architecture of Luxury, this made its debut on the eight-generation Phantom, which went on sale in 2017.

Saab: 9-7X

Far more American than Swedish, the Saab 9-7X was based on the same platform as the Buick Rainier, Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, Isuzu Ascender and Oldsmobile Bravada, and built at a GM factory in Moraine, Ohio for US customers.

Marketed as a luxury SUV and priced accordingly, the 9-7X was sold from the 2005 to 2009 model years. It was the first and only SUV to wear a Saab badge. GM sold the brand in 2010, the first in a series of unfortunate events leading to the demise of a much-loved manufacturer.

SEAT: Ateca

SEAT made its debut in the SUV market segment with the Ateca, which was launched in 2016, 66 years after the Spanish brand (and now Volkswagen subsidiary) was founded. It was one of the first models based on the A1 version of VW's MQB platform, also used for the Skoda Karoq, among other vehicles.

A high-performance version was developed for the new Cupra brand, introduced in 2018. The Ateca is therefore both SEAT's and Cupra's first SUV.

Skoda: Yeti

During a particularly inventive period in the first decade of the 21st century, Skoda came up first with the Roomster compact MPV and then with its first SUV, the Yeti. Launched in 2009, and based on a platform used widely by Audi, SEAT, Volkswagen and Skoda itself, the Yeti was both practical and charming.

By the time it was replaced by the larger Karoq in 2017, it was definitely showing its age, but it had long since built up an enthusiastic group of satisfied owners who were sorry to see it go. We wish someone would revive it as a budget model, perhaps for developing world markets; we’re sure it would sell well.

SsangYong: Musso

The complicated history of SsangYong began with various South Korean companies building Jeeps under licence. After some merging and renaming, SsangYong created its first SUV in collaboration with Mercedes. The Musso was available with a choice of engines produced by the German company, and was sold as a Mercedes in some markets.

SsangYong has continued to use the Musso name into the 2020s, but for a pickup truck rather than an SUV. SsangYong was renamed to KGM in 2023.

Subaru: Forester

Discounting the various Outback models, which are estate cars with increased ride height, the first Subaru SUV was the Forester. The original Forester made its debut in 1997. It was based on the contemporary Impreza saloon and shared that car's low centre of gravity (a happy result of the flat-four engine), four-wheel drive and soft but well-damped suspension.

As a result, the Forester was very nearly as good to drive as the Impreza (which was saying something) and of course more practical.

Suzuki: LJ10

The Hope Motor Company briefly produced a tiny and very basic off-roader with a 360cc two-stroke Mitsubishi engine in 1968. Unable to put it into volume production, Hope sold the HopeStar ON360 to Suzuki, which replaced the Mitsubishi motor with one of its own and thoroughly redesigned the rest of the vehicle.

The resulting machine, called the LJ10, went on sale in 1970 and proved to be very popular. After several major redesigns and a great many smaller upgrades, the LJ10 lives on today as the Suzuki Jimny.

Tesla: Model X

The Model X was the first SUV, and the third vehicle of any kind, brought to market by Tesla. Like every other Tesla, it has an all-electric powertrain. It is also notable for its gullwing doors and panoramic windscreen. Neither of these is unique to the Model X, but the door arrangement in particular is very unusual for an SUV.

The Model X made its debut in late 2015.

Toyota: Land Cruiser

Along with the Nissan Patrol, the Toyota Land Cruiser bears one of Japan's oldest SUV nameplates. The Land Cruiser name was applied for the first time in 1954 to the vehicle previously known as the BJ. This had been developed for use by the Japanese National Police Reserve, and combined a truck chassis, a 3.4-litre six-cylinder engine previously used in Toyota saloons and a new four-wheel drive system.

By 2018, Land Cruisers were being built in Japan, Kenya and Portugal and sold in approximately 170 countries on every continent except Antarctica.

Vauxhall: Frontera

The first-generation Vauxhall Frontera and its Opel equivalent were introduced in 1991 and replaced by new versions seven years later. The Frontera was the European version of an Isuzu SUV, and was available in three-door, short-wheelbase and five-door, long-wheelbase forms. It has been widely – and not unreasonably - criticised for not being very good, but it sold well.

Production ended in 2004. The final Frontera was also the last non-commercial vehicle ever built in Luton before the factory switched over to manufacturing the Vauxhall Vivaro van.

Volkswagen: Touareg

The Touraeg was VW's version of an SUV jointly developed by Volkswagen and Porsche. It was introduced in 2002, at about the same time as the Cayenne, and three years before the Audi Q7. The three models were mechanically similar but had their own unique styling. Engines available for the first-generation Touareg included a 6.0-litre W12 also used in the Bentley Continental.

An autonomous Touareg developed at Stanford University won the DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) Challenge in 2005, completing the 132-mile off-road course in under seven hours.

Volvo: XC90

News that Volvo was planning to launch its first SUV caused great excitement in the early years of the 21st century, and the XC90 was very well received when it went on sale in 2002. Based on a platform otherwise used only for saloons and estate cars, it was outstandingly successful.

Volvo was able to keep selling it in most markets for 12 years with only minor updates before replacing it within another model of the same name. The original vehicle, renamed XC Classic, remained on sale in China for two years after that.

30 Dream Cars for under £30k

Tue, 2 Jun 2026 09:38:47 +0100

Perchance to dream… Had Shakespeare been around today, chances are he might have been referring to his next car rather than to the next life.

After all, who doesn’t spend half their waking hours scrolling through car ads, imagining themselves at the wheel of something they can’t afford, such as a Ferrari or a Lamborghini?

It passes the time but leads nowhere – so instead, scroll through these 30 choice motors no dearer than £30,000. Agreed, it’s a significant sum, but many of them are less than half that and some cheaper still. Dream on…

ASTON MARTIN VANTAGE

Although the V8 Vantage never graced the 007 franchise, it still looks like something Daniel Craig might have driven in Casino Royale in 2006, had the DBS V12 not got the gig instead. No worries; today, used DBSs start at around £60,000, while for half that you can get into a Vantage with the later and more powerful 4.7 V8 rather than the launch 4.3.

WE FOUND Aston Martin 4.7 V8 Vantage auto, 2009/09, 50,000 miles, £29,000

CATERHAM SEVEN

After perhaps on a motorcycle, life doesn’t get much more exciting than behind the wheel of a Caterham Seven. There’s a bewildering number of varieties to choose from, so keep things simple with a straightforward, Ford Duratec- powered 1.6 putting out 135bhp. It’s not a lot of grunt, granted, but in a car weighing only slightly more than a bag of sugar, it’s enough. Pay an expert to scrutinise it.

WE FOUND Caterham Seven 1.6 Ti-VCT 270 S3, 2018/67, 8000 miles, £18,995

BMW i8

Autocar once put an i8 up against a Porsche 911. The 911 just edged it, but we accepted that people might have preferred the i8’s futuristic design and technology. Those attributes remain and, better still, prices now start at £25,000. They’re reliable things, so concentrate on the condition of the body and doors.

WE FOUND BMW i8, 2014/64, 78,000 miles, £27,490

AUDI R8

The noughties poster car still stirs the blood. The 5.2 V10 is the one people want, but prices start well above our £30,000 ceiling, so the 4.2 V8 it is. Fret not, though, because back in 2007, when it was launched, Autocar’s testers voted the R8 4.2 the best car they had driven all year. Budget for a clutch every 20,000 miles.

WE FOUND Audi R8 4.2 FSI V8, 2009/59, 87,000 miles, £27,500

PEUGEOT 205 GTi

Prices are all over the place for this perfect little slice of hot hatch heaven, so research the field thoroughly. Fortunately, it’s fine to buy a cheap project car, because the 205 is easy to work on and parts availability is excellent. There’s also a very knowledgeable community you can tap into. The 1.6 versus 1.9 debate still rages, but it’s the drive that counts and that’s special whichever engine you choose.

WE FOUND Peugeot 205 1.9 GTi, 1989/G, 126,000 miles, £10,995

BMW M2 COMPETITION

Autocar awarded the M2 Competition four and a half stars and declared it one of the best driver’s cars of 2018. In these times of obscenely expensive cars, that you can get one in rare and desirable manual form for just under £30,000 – or a little over half the model’s new price before the inevitable extras (which, incidentally, our find has) – is a cause for celebration.

WE FOUND BMW M2 Competition, 2019/19, 46,000 miles, £29,200

CITROEN 2CV

Are we having a laugh? In fact, there are enough 2CV fanciers around to suggest this quirky car with its clattery, air-cooled, twin-cylinder engine, roly-poly suspension and have-a-go gearchange is a genuine dream car. Aside from checking the cardboard air tubes aren’t about to self-combust or the kingpins about to seize, check for terminal rust.

WE FOUND Citroën 2CV, 1989/G, 55,000 miles, £7500

FIAT COUPE

Unless you were around in 1993, you won’t know of the excitement that accompanied the arrival of the Fiat Coupé. Back then, Fiat was a brand with an image little better than it has now, yet there it was springing one of the most daringly styled cars imaginable. Happily, the Coupé drove well and was powered by a choice of three delightful engines – but, boy, can it rust…

WE FOUND Fiat Coupé Turbo 16v, 1996/N, 38,000 miles, £9995

FORD MUSTANG

Obviously, the real Mustang dream car is a 1968 GT 390 Fastback in Highland Green. On our hunt for its £30,000 present-day equivalent, we chanced across a 2019 Bullitt edit ion 5.0 GT with 80,000 miles for £31,450 – too much, so our pick is a standard GT. With early Mustangs like it, check the interior is holding up, the clutch is good and the engine isn’t rattly. Our find has a full Ford history so should be fine…

WE FOUND Ford Mustang 5.0 GT, 2016/66, 31,000 miles, £25,995

FORD FOCUS RS

“The 300bhp [Mk2] Focus RS shreds the rulebook on front-wheel-drive dynamics,” said Autocar and duly awarded it five stars. Checks include pulling out the dipstick to listen for escaping air while the engine is running and feeling for driveshaft, clutch and suspension wear.

WE FOUND Ford Focus 2.5 RS, 2009/09, 57,000 miles, £22,975

JAGUAR F-TYPE

The F-Type R’s 5.0-litre, 32-valve V8 packs 542bhp and 502lb ft, enough to catapult the car to 62mph in 4.0sec. It also costs impressive numbers to tax (£735) and insure (it sits in group 50). Make sure its numerous recalls have been followed up, the cam-chain tensioners aren’t noisy, the fuel pumps aren’t failing and the rear differential isn’t leaking.

WE FOUND Jaguar F-Type 5.0 V8 R, 2014/14, 66,000 miles, £29,995

LAND ROVER DEFENDER

Old, slow and crude it may be, but for many people, an old Defender is their dream car. For some, it’s the compact and chunky 90 model; for others, the longer and more practical 110 we’ve featured here. It’s a later model powered by the trusty and torquey Puma 2.4-litre diesel motor from the Ford Transit. Whatever you track down, condition is more important than mileage.

WE FOUND Land Rover Defender 110 2.4 TDCi XS, 2010/59, 38,000 miles, £28,495

LOTUS EVORA

In the Evora, Lotus chassis brilliance meets Toyota reliability. Our find, an approved used example with the Sport (switchable modes, oil cooler, titanium exhaust) and Tech (rear parking sensors and camera, upgraded media system) packs, looks tempting. Prices start at around £23,000 for 276bhp cars and a couple of thousand more for the cheapest 345bhp S models.

Check gear cables on early cars, the ECU for over-revving, signs of track abuse and the cabin for wear and tear.

WE FOUND Lotus Evora 3.5 V6, 2011/61, 62,000 miles, £27,990

LOTUS ELISE

Unfortunately, the era of cheap Elises is behind us, but buy a good one today and it’s unlikely to lose anything. What you will get is one of the most enjoyable cars this side of a Caterham but with a dash more civility.

By now the engine should have been cured of most issues (head gasket and radiator among them), so instead examine body gaps and paint condition, check the rear subframe isn’t hanging off, listen for a whiny diff, feel for tight steering and suspension and make sure the hood is okay.

WE FOUND Lotus Elise S1, 1998/S, 47,000 miles, £19,995

MERCEDES-BENZ C63 AMG

A neighbour has owned one of these since it retired from life as a Mercedes-Benz World track car. Almost every weekday morning for the past 13 years, he has hoofed it, from cold, down the road. Its sound alone would qualify it for dream status, except the C63 is also a terrific driver’s car, and - especially in wagon form - also practical with it.

Check for lambda and thermostat issues, excessive oil consumption, cracked rims and an overly creaky interior.

WE FOUND Mercedes-Benz C63 V8 AMG Estate, 2013/13, 87,000 miles, £17,995

MINI JCW GP

There are plenty of small hatches we could have chosen, but beside the first-generation Mini GP, they’re all a touch ordinary. Here’s a car with an extreme bodykit, a proper mechanical diff and an extra 7bhp over the regular JCW’s 208bhp.

That doesn’t sound like much, but the GP is 50kg lighter than the standard model (it has no rear seats and little soundproofing). The result is a car that’s quick, even sharper in the bends and, yes, a bit noisy.

WE FOUND Mini 1.6 Cooper S JCW GP, 2006/06, 84,000 miles, £13,500

MORGAN PLUS 8

Enough folk have grown up believing claims that the Morgan Plus 8 was once the fastest- accelerating car, and that you had better put your name down for one at birth if you want it before you retire, that acquiring one has become a life’s ambition for many. That it was produced by bearded artisans in the shadow of the Malvern Hills just adds to its allure.

Best bought from a specialist or its owner.

WE FOUND Morgan Plus 8 3.9i, 1994/L , 24,000 miles, £28,750

VAUXHALL VXR8

Yes, £18,500 does seem a lot for a 16 -year-old Vauxhall, and we would have preferred it to be the later, supercharged 6.2 GTS-R version, but with just 15 of those cars delivered to the UK and one recently selling at auction for £71,000, the ‘standard’ model it must be. Behind the griffin badge, it’s a Holden Special Vehicles Clubsport R8 from down under, so imagine you have been dreaming of owning a genuine Aussie muscle car and here it is.

The VXR8’s V8 makes a decent 425bhp and drives the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox (there was an optional automatic). The engine can take more power, but be sure any performance modifications have been expertly done, and check the foot wells aren’t damp and the interior is holding up.

WE FOUND Vauxhall 6.2 VXR8, 2009/09, 50,000 miles, £18,500

PORSCHE 911 CARRERA S

The 997-series 911 built on the achievements of its predecessor, the 996, being even better to drive, available with the brilliant PDK dual-clutch automatic gearbox and still reasonably compact. Stories of bore scoring and IMS bearing failure haunt both generations, but they were rare events and, in any case, many cars have since had pre-emptive fixes.

WE FOUND Porsche 911 3.8 Carrera S PDK, 2009/09, 88,000 miles, £28,995

SUBARU IMPREZA

With more varieties of Impreza Turbo than Heinz soup, you really need to know your WRX 22B from your P1. So just go for a limited-edition RB5 instead. Launched to celebrate Richard Burns’s return to the Subaru rally team, it’s one of the best versions of the first- generation Impreza Turbo and now a future classic that’s still relatively affordable.

Beware poor mods, body repairs and over-stretched engines.

WE FOUND Subaru Impreza RB5, 1999/T, 87,000 miles, £15,995

VW GOLF GTI

The Mk1 Golf GTI is a genuine dream car, perhaps more for what it represents than anything. That said, you will love the heightened sense of connection and the visibility past those narrow pillars. GTIs are not cheap, as our find – a two-owner car in good, unrestored condition – shows.

However, the seller has just replaced all the consumables and fitted new Bilstein suspension struts, brake callipers, belts, a clutch and an exhaust.

WE FOUND Volkswagen Golf Mk1 GTI, 1983/Y, 80,000 miles, £18,450

TOYOTA GR YARIS

A former winner of our Britain’s Best Affordable Driver’s Car competition, and a Britain’s Best Driver’s Car podium finisher, the 257bhp, 266lb ft GR Yaris was brilliant out of the box. The 0-62mph-in-5.5sec Circuit Pack sharpened it further with the addition of stiffer springs, dampers and roll bars, lighter wheels and Torsen limited-slip diffs front and rear. New it cost £33,500, so our four-year-old find represents a handy saving.

WE FOUND Toyota GR Yaris Circuit Pack, 2021/70, 43,000 miles, £24,990

MASERATI GRANTURISMO

The growly Granturismo 4.7 is more than an antisocial nuisance. It’s a full four-seater, for a start, and then there’s the ride and body control, which, on standard springs, is impressive. Choose a well-used and well-serviced car over an apparently mint low-miler and run a mile from the optional and potentially troublesome Skyhook suspension.

WE FOUND Maserati Granturismo 4.7 Sport auto with MC Pack, 2014/64, 51,000 miles, £29,999

HONDA INTEGRA TYPE R

Honda could have named this model the Integrity, because that’s how the firm approached it. No corner-cutting here: the Integra had a stronger bodyshell than standard models, balanced by lighter wheels, a thinner windscreen and less sound-deadening material.

Its 1.8-litre engine got high-compression pistons, hand-finished intake ports and a modified VTEC system, too. It made 187bhp but was required to haul just 1170kg. Beware rusty rear wheel arches and underside.

WE FOUND Honda Integra Type R, 2000/W, 90,000 miles, £12,750

BMW M3

A near-perfect size, remarkably communicative and powered by a characterful 3.2-litre straight six, the E46-gen M3 numbers among Autocar testers’ favourite used M cars. However, it has its problems, including a potentially troublesome Vanos timing unit, the risk of head gasket failure and the possibility of a worn rear axle carrier.

WE FOUND BMW M3, 2002/02, 67,000 miles, £22,990

BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT SPEED

Prices for early Contis have been low for a long time, but signs are they’re firming up. These cars end up on all sorts of forecourts, but we favour a private purchase such as our find. It has done the mileage but counts only two former keepers and comes with a full Bentley service history.

WE FOUND Bentley Continental 6.0 W12 GT Speed, 2008/58, 92,000 miles, £18,995

AUDI RS6 AVANT

Shoehorning 10 cylinders into a family car is, of course, bonkers. The C6-gen RS6 may have delivered supercar performance, but the price was supercar levels of technical complexity. Our find is a private-sale car, giving you a chance to quiz the owner in detail about its history.

WE FOUND Audi RS6 V10 Avant, 2008/58, 112,000 miles, £22,995

BMW M5

There are many great M5s, but most enthusiasts of a certain age would agree the E39 of 1998 -2003 is the one they lusted after for its perfect chassis balance, V8 power and slick gearbox. Today, the best ones cost £50,000, but high-mileage examples start at around £18,000.

The model is tough but the steering and suspension need careful checking. From cold, listen for the Vanos unit playing up and be sure the differential isn’t leaking.

WE FOUND BMW M5, 2000/X, 102,000 miles, £25,990

BMW Z3 M COUPE

To create the Z3 M Coupé, BMW engineers took the Z3 roadster, attached a solid roof to it and stuffed the 3.2-litre straight six from the E36-gen M3 under the bonnet. The market wasn’t persuaded. Then, for some reason (probably to do with its rarity), prices skyrocketed, but they have recently started falling again.

A sloppy gearchange is an expensive fix, and also check the boot floor for cracks and listen for engine and suspension noises.

WE FOUND BMW Z3 M 3.2 Coupé, 1998/S, 59,000 miles, £29,990

MERCEDES-BENZ SL

Cruising the riviera then gunning it down the autobahn: the R230-gen SL 55 AMG with folding Vario-roof is two cars in one. Our 2003 find is the 493bhp version, good for 0- 62mph in 4.7sec. Repairs and upkeep aren’t cheap, so buy the best you can, taking care to check the engine is oil- and coolant- tight, the electrics and suspension system are behaving, the aluminium body is dent-free and the roof operates smoothly.

WE FOUND Mercedes-Benz SL 55 AMG, 2003/03, 63,000 miles, £12,995

HOW TO BUY - DOS AND DON'TS

With each of the cars featured on these pages, we have suggested specific things that you should look out for when buying one. In addition, there are some general dos and don’ts you should follow.

DO…

Test drive a few examples to establish a benchmark.

Buy with your head, not your heart.

Check the car’s mileage, provenance and MOT history.

DON’T…

Research the market and widen your search beyond the obvious classified sites.

Buy privately. You can tell a lot about a car from the person selling it.

If necessary, pay an expert to check the car for you. They could save you money in the long run.

Prioritise a low mileage over condition and service history.

Buy from a dealer with little experience of the model.

Spoil your dream by compromising too much on colour and specification.

Buy the first car you see. There will be a better one.

A £150 sim rig made me a teenage racing prodigy – and a better real-world driver

Tue, 2 Jun 2026 08:00:00 +0100

Sim racing is the most accessible and tangible way to revel in cars when the real thing is beyond your means

By the age of 14, I had driven a Group C Jaguar XJR-9 around the Nordschleife, conquered the Col de Turini in Colin McRae's Impreza and crashed a Veyron at 250mph. At least that's what I told my mum.

Sim racing is, quite simply, the most accessible and tangible way to revel in cars when the real thing is beyond your means. I'll spare you the sob story but, as the middle of three children to a single mum in suburban London, there was simply no way I was getting behind the wheel of a go-kart or out on a farm in a knackered old Land Rover: we couldn't afford it.

What I could afford, though, was a Logitech G27 steering wheel and pedal set, purchased for the princely sum of £150 by saving up all my Christmas, birthday and pocket money for a year.

Bolted to my bedroom desk and hooked up to a PlayStation 3 with a fan so loud you would have thought Concorde was taking off, it was a lifeline for someone utterly obsessed with cars but with no opportunity to really get involved. And there was genuine craftsmanship honed in doing so, too.

Thanks to the lifelike handling offered by games such as Gran Turismo 6 and Dirt 3, I learned the basics of car control: the bum-puckering looseness of a Toyota MR2's rear end when slowing from high speed while cresting the hills of the fictional Deep Forest Raceway; the utter silence of steering feel that descends when you hit a patch of Alpine ice in a classic Mini; the sheer joy of putting terrible tyres on a BMW M4 and attempting to slide the entirety of the glorious Streets of Willow circuit.

No longer was I a misfit schoolboy battling quadratic equations and, er, the Battle of Trafalgar: I was Ayrton Senna, John Cleland, or whoever I damn pleased - just as soon as I'd eaten my tea and done the dishes, anyway.

Racing games are a fantastic teaching tool. Don't take my word for it: take that of the legions of professionals who got their break in this world. Rally driver Jon Armstrong, for example, won the World Rally Esports Championship in 2018 and today competes in the actual World Rally Championship. And Formula 1's leading light, Max Verstappen, is almost as passionate about digital racing as the real thing.

As for little old me, I passed my driving test first time out with zero minors. Yes, that's a brag, and no, it's not a championship title, but it's an achievement that I credit entirely to those years spent in my bedroom learning the fundamentals of operating a car. Because by the time I was finally in the driver's seat, I already knew roughly how to make the machine work and could just concentrate on doing so safely, within the confines of the rules.

If you have a budding young enthusiast in the house at a loss as to what to do in their spare time, get them a good force-feedback wheel and pedal set and some games to play with it. Gran Turismo is a great start. You might just have a future champion on your hands - or, at the very least, you'll make them a much safer, more engaged driver when the time comes.