Richard Lane

Richard Lane, Autocar
Title: Deputy road test editor

Richard joined Autocar in 2017 and loves putting readers in the driver's seat, making the road-test desk his natural home.

Assignments range from getting to grips with low-volume sports cars on windy airfields to scrutinising the latest global models from major OEMs, and of course strapping telemetry gear to the world's fastest cars at MIRA to see how quick they really are compared to rivals – and the makers’ claims. He's also a regular feature-writer for the magazine, and can be often seen on Autocar's YouTube channel and heard on the Autocar podcast

Highlights at Autocar include a class win while driving a Bowler Defender in the British Cross Country Championship, riding shotgun with a flat-out Walter Röhrl, and setting the magazine's fastest road-test lap-time to date at the wheel of a Ferrari 296 GTB. 

Away from work, Richard's ownership history includes an eight-valve Integrale, an orignal Ford Focus RS and a Mk1 Honda Insight – the one with the spats.

Richard is an expert in:

  • In-depth performance testing and circuit benchmarking
  • Objective road test reviewing
  • Back-to-back comparison testing
  • On-road ride and handling assessment
  • The luxury, performance car and sports car segments

Richard Lane Q&A

What was your biggest news story?

Being on the road-test desk means being among the first people in the world outside the factory to drive a new model, often in prototype form. For us, those first impressions from behind the wheel are the big, breaking stories.        

What’s the best car you’ve ever driven?

Probably Porsche's 911 R. The handling is unbelievably exploitable and the sense of mechanical engagement is profound, but it's not an intimidating car. Just a straight masterpiece. In second place is a 1947 Cisitalia 202.

What will the car industry look like in 20 years?

Hard opinions on the future of this industry need to be treated with caution but change in inevitable and innovations such as Hyundai's synthesized gearbox for the all-electric Ioniq 5 N are encouraging. The idea sounds a bit silly on paper but it reality it really does add to the driving experience. Expect more of this sort of thing in the future. We're also long overdue a trend in vehicle weights decreasing, but this is only going to come about through new battery technology.

Away from the big OEMs and their electrification drives, there's been an explosion in small-scale outfits making truly memorable drivers' cars, often by modifying older cars. This type of product is never especially cheap but it does tend to be laced with passion. It's something we do very well in the UK. 

News

Bentley priming new 641bhp Continental GT Supersports

Research and development chiefs don't rule out wider deployment of Bentayga Speed powerplant as new test mules emerge

Bentley priming new 641bhp Continental GT Supersports
Car review

Renault Scenic E-Tech

The once genre-defining family car reinvents itself for the EV era

Renault Scenic E-Tech
News

Krief: The engineering guru who swapped Ferrari for Renault

Why the 296 GTB engineer now wants to make mainstream cars fun

Krief: The engineering guru who swapped Ferrari for Renault
Car review

Cupra Terramar

Cupra completes its model range with a big sibling to the Ateca

Cupra Terramar
Car review

Lamborghini Revuelto

Strap in for some astonishing findings about this 1001bhp supercar

Lamborghini Revuelto
Car review

Dacia Duster

Mk3 model gains digital tech, ADAS, slicker looks... Is this mission creep?

Dacia Duster
Car review

Land Rover Defender Octa

Gaydon goes very large indeed on both performance and 4x4 capability for its very first ultimate Defender

Land Rover Defender Octa
Car review

Bentley Continental GT

'Entry-level' version of big luxury coupé now has a 671bhp V8-engined plug-in hybrid powertrain

Bentley Continental GT
Opinion

Dacia's secrets to success: how it makes its cars so cheap

Dacia's exuberant CEO imposes an unorthodox way of working on Dacia’s designers and engineers

Dacia's secrets to success: how it makes its cars so cheap
Car review

Bentley Bentayga Speed

Bentley's go-faster Bentayga derivative swaps W12 shove for V8 gargle and more besides

Bentley Bentayga Speed
Long-Term Review

Skoda Superb 2025 long-term test

After 11k miles, has our five-star car also become a long-term legend?

Skoda Superb 2025 long-term test

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