How Autocar is made | Autocar
It’s Shah’s job to bring order to the chaos, dictating the firing order of magazine pages and seeing them over the finish line. “We’ve done it long enough together to know how much time each task takes and whether we…
The new cars of 2024 worth waiting for
BMW M4 The M4’s at the halfway point – Leigh Delamere services, if you will – and needs a little touch-up. While a hardcore CS version will come out to bridge the gap between the standard car and CSL. We…
Best moments of 2023: the Autocar team’s motoring highlights
We’re all looking for a bit of reassurance that there will be fun to be had in the electric era, and this was as good as anything. Now I’ve just got to wait another few months to drive a finished…
The best cars Autocar lived with in 2023
Winner: Toyota GR Supra Runner up: Peugeot 408 He voted for it in every category, so it’s only right we give the first word on the Supra to Verpraet: “Duh.” That really is all he offered in support of why…
Dennis, Horner and Duke of Richmond named in honours list
Former McLaren Formula 1 boss Ron Dennis has been knighted in King Charles III’s latest New Years Honours list. The mastermind behind multiple titles has been given the honour for his services to industry and charity. Current Red Bull Boss…
Our favourite cars of 2023: Porsche 911 Sport Classic
Porsche is currently hooked on the hard stuff: the rare-groove special editions every manufacturer of note seems to be purveying as though their existence depended on it. (Maybe it does?) It’s obvious why. These creations delight the engineering teams, but…
Rolls-Royce Spectre Review (2023) | Autocar
The road test has been measuring what we call the ‘door span’ – the width that is occupied when the front doors are fully opened – of its subjects for several years now. In itself, it may be quite a…
The best photos from Autocar in 2023
A second entry here for the Nascar Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, this time at Le Mans. Max says: “There was so much hype around this entry, it would have been mad not to have taken the opportunity to get a big…
Xiaomi sports saloon brings up to 670bhp and 746-mile range
As well as being highly aerodynamic, Xiaomi also claims the SU7 boasts high levels of structural integrity. The rear body structure is cast in a 9100-tonne die-casting machine. Power for the SU7 comes from Xiaomi’s own in-house developed electric motors, named…
Lexus LBX Review (2023) | Autocar
The LBX is a premium-focused B-segment car, and for a new arrival in late 2023 it’s fairly novel: there’s no electric version planned, and by expanding into a smaller market, Lexus has bucked the ongoing trend of cars growing to…
Used Volvo V40 2012-2019 review
If you’re drawn to the V40 by Volvo’s reputation for practical, comfortable transport, you’ll probably be quietly impressed by what you find. That it didn’t lead the class on space is perhaps a slight shame, but it’s not a major…
Mercedes to use turquoise lights for self-driving cars
In California, the lights have initially been approved for a two-year test. In Nevada, they will become legal for production cars from 2026. Mercedes chief technology officer Markus Schäfer said: “With the development of automated-driving marker lights, Mercedes-Benz is once again setting new…
Mercedes-Benz Unimog tests hydrogen combustion engine
Mercedes-Benz is testing a Unimog equipped with a hydrogen combustion engine, in a bid to eventually offer low-emission trucks with performance on a par with today’s diesels. The German giant is using a Unimog U430, which packs a 7.7-litre straight six…
Top 10 best estate cars 2023
The 1.0-litre engine is no powerhouse, but thanks to the snappy six-speed manual, it gets out of its own way well enough. If you must have an automatic transmission, the Dacia Jogger Hybrid is the one to go for and…
Used Alfa Romeo 4C 2013-2018 review Review
It produces 237bhp and drives the rear wheels through, when it behaves, a lightning-quick, six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. With the coupé weighing only 925kg and the Spider 1080kg, 0-62mph takes 4.5sec, but its in-gear acceleration impresses more. At launch, the…
Aston Martin DB12 Review (2023)
On the launch of the Aston Martin DBX 707 in 2022, a heavily overhauled version of the DBX, we were given the obligatory show-around of the car. All was going well until we got inside and I prodded the screen on the…
Christmas throwback: Autocar’s Concorde ‘road test’
When lowered, the table sits four degrees adrift of the floor angle so that your champagne stays level in the glass during a supersonic cruise, when the aircraft is flying four degrees nose-up. Concorde provides excellent facilities, ranging from the…
Nio targets Volkswagen ID 2 and Renault 5 with Firefly EV brand
Chinese electric car maker Nio will launch a new budget brand codenamed Firefly into European markets in 2024, aimed at small cars the size of the Volkswagen Polo. Firefly – which will be launched alongside another new EV sub-brand known as Alps – was…
Why cars aren’t just “for the elite”
The trouble is, I was travelling when I heard it and noted it and now can’t find the quote. But by gum it makes me cross, the sort of nonsense talked by people who apparently have never left London to…
VW software developer Cariad cuts costs to avoid lay-offs
Cariad’s internal delays hurt the roll-out of the Volkswagen ID 3, for which it developed software Close 2 mins read 15 December 2023 Volkswagen Group’s embattled Cariad software unit has agreed to cut development costs in order to avoid mass…
Electric Alfa Romeo keeps saloon shape despite SUV popularity
The electric Alfa Romeo Giulia, due on sale by 2026, will retain its classic saloon silhouette despite the overwhelming popularity of SUVs. The Giulia EV is one of two new D-segment cars Alfa Romeo will launch in 2025 and 2026,…
New 800V Zeekr EV battery can charge at 500kW
Zeekr has unveiled its first in-house-developed battery, a lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) unit that features in the Chinese EV firm’s new 007 saloon. Called the Golden Battery, it’s billed as the world’s first mass-produced 800V LFP battery to offer ultra-fast charging capability. It can…
2024 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 priced from £164,765
New Mercedes-AMG GT E Performance PHEV is all but identical to pure-V8 GT 63 Sports car retains snarling V8; 804bhp plug-in hybrid set-up from new SL to follow The Mercedes-AMG GT 63 is priced from £164,765 in the UK, the…
What is the battery life of an electric car?
For many car owners, the EV represents an entirely new way of driving and brings with it many queries and concerns. Obviously range anxiety still dominates the electrification conversation, but for many there are also question marks over the life…
First images of electric Range Rover as waiting list opens
The firm says its test programme has been adapted to particularly examine the vehicle’s underfloor, battery durability and thermal derating. The Range Rover Electric will be built in Solihull alongside the existing mild- and plug-in hybrid versions. It will initially…
Porsche Macan electric prototype review
It’s the handling precision and overall breadth of the dynamics that really got our attention the first time out in the new Macan, though. Meier says a lot of effort has gone into ensuring its characteristics have a genuine Porsche…
Used BMW i8 2014-2020 review
The transversely mounted mid-engined powerplant drives not only the rear wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission but also a high-output starter-generator electric motor, which shuffles power back into the 7.1kWh battery under the floor. Up front, there’s a 129bhp, 184lb…
Next-generation Volkswagen Transporter previewed | Autocar
It will also offer the same array of diesel, petrol-plug-in-hybrid and battery-electric powertrains as its Transit relation. The electric ‘E-Transporter’ will no doubt match the 236-mile range of the Ford and be sold with the same choice of 134bhp or 215bhp…
Ferrari 812 successor due in 2024 retaining V12 power
Visible cues include new-look headlight designs and reshaped quad-exit exhausts. But Ferrari will no doubt seek to make its GT an obvious relation to the new Purosangue SUV with a similar treatment at the front and rear ends, and muscular,…
Next-generation Nissan Qashqai EV to match current pricing
Nissan has yet to reveal many technical details of the new Qashqai, although it will sit on the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance CMF-EF platform, a bespoke electric architecture designed for C- and D-segment cars. It is already used for the Renault Megane…
Lap dancers: Ford Focus ST Track Pack vs Toyota GR86
Then, most significantly, it also gets KW Automotive coilovers, which reduce the ride height by 10mm (and provide a drop in centre of gravity) and have adjustable damping settings – 12 stages in compression and 16 stages in rebound –…
Road trip: London to Liverpool in the electric Rolls-Royce Spectre
But, by the time its custodians have taken on a bite of lunch, the car has taken on an extra 100 miles of range in any case, and is ready to forge north again, this time on the M6. Short…
Why don’t car firms have good slogans anymore?
You will see a little less ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ (‘progress through technology’) from Audi than you once did and a little more ‘future is an attitude’, alongside its electric cars. But while its use of ‘Vorsprung’, like the brewer Carlsberg’s…
BMW i5 Review (2023) | Autocar
There’s a strong whiff of 7 Series about the interior of this car, flowing not only from its expansive cabin width but also the scope and style of the digital technology employed in it, and from various cabin features used…
On this week in 1965: 70mph limit imposed on UK motorways
Transport minister Tom Fraser introduced the limit for a trial period We take a look at the voices for and against an issue that remains contentious to this day “Since long before Britain’s first motorway opened in 1958, pleas for…
Stellantis to introduce battery swap stations from 2024
Stellantis will launch a network of battery swap stations that can fit a fully charged battery to an EV “in less than five minutes”. The technology, developed by San Francisco-based Ample and backed by Vauxhall parent Stellantis, will be rolled out on…
MG to launch new flagship SUV and refresh ICE line-up in 2024
MG will comprehensively upgrade its ICE car line-up during the first half of 2024, before launching a new flagship electric SUV and a facelifted version of the MG 4 EV. At a recent event, the general manager of its business…
Next MG Marvel R SUV to launch in UK after snub rethink
MG will launch the replacement version of the Marvel R upmarket electric compact SUV in the UK after restricting the current model to left-hand-drive European markets only, the brand has confirmed. No details about the new model have been released,…
My Week In Cars: New Steve Cropley/Matt Prior podcast (ep. 65)
Episode 65 of the Autocar podcast My Week In Cars finds our resident car hacks Steve Cropley and Matt Prior talking the New Year’s Day meet at Brooklands and Goodwood’s move to sustainable fuels, wondering what happened to Mercedes’ famous…
Stellantis working on hydrogen combustion engines
Stellantis is working on hydrogen combustion engines as one of four different solutions to zero-emissions driving, CEO Carlos Tavares has said. Tavares was speaking at the opening of the Symbio hydrogen fuel cell factory in Lyon, France. Symbio is an equally…
Dacia Duster won’t go electric until the 2030s
The Dacia Duster is unlikely to be offered as a battery-electric car until the 2030s. Asked by Autocar how and when the Dacia Duster will adopt pure-electric power, brand CEO Denis Le Vot simply replied: “I don’t know.” He explained that…
Toyota will ‘not give up’ on combustion sports cars
Toyota’s GR performance division plans to use hydrogen to keep its combustion-engined sports cars on the road – but infrastructure shortcomings prevent it from being an immediate solution. The GR division, which has its roots in Toyota’s Gazoo Racing motorsport operation, currently…
Toyota reveals affordable urban crossover as smallest, cheapest EV
He did however acknowledge that the Volvo EX30, for example, would be a natural rival, and that “Toyota isn’t detached from the market reality”, suggesting that a price of around £32,000 wouldn’t be unrealistic. In pursuit of a balance between affordability…
Driving a Lunaz bin lorry: the UK’s biggest new EV
Facing me is a digital screen, displaying a speedo, and readouts for battery range and efficiency, as well as the vital air pressure stats. (Air pressure controls everything from the brakes to the firmness of the driver’s seat.) Across the…
How many drive modes is too many?
Hyundai executives can get defensive about criticism of the number of drive modes and options on performance cars like their i30 N. That’s one of my favourite hot hatchbacks, but there’s no denying that it has a lot of adjustable…
Showdown: New Ferrari Purosangue vs Aston Martin DBX 707
As for handling, the Purosangue’s balance and driveline generate deep, deep pedigree feel for a car of this type – or of any type, frankly. No, never does it feel dramatically lighter than it is, but its core handling personality…
UK-built electric Nissan Juke aims to be same price as petrol model
The next-generation Nissan Juke will arrive in the second-half of the decade as an electric-only model with fresh styling based on the bold Hyper Punk concept. Nissan is aiming for the next-generation Juke EV to cost around the same as…
Smart #1: find out why it’s a What Car? five-star car
The smart #1 is built on an all-new all-electric SUV platform that combines a compact urban-friendly footprint with impressive interior space. On the outside, its streamlined curves – with concealed door handles and frameless doors for an added premium touch…
Porsche 911 GT3 RS Review (2023)
Straight-line performance and character in the GT3 RS is nearly a mirror image of the GT3’s, meaning the power delivery has a divine linearity about it. There is also pin-sharp throttle response and occupants are treated to that distinctive, intake-generated…
Mercedes EQE SUV
Stuttgart continues to expand its family of luxury electric cars with another big SUV There’s something reassuringly, quintessentially Mercedes-Benz about the name of the company’s latest electric car. It’s an SUV version of the Mercedes EQE saloon, so it has…
Range Rover Evoque Review (2020)
Due to the fairly supple way the original car was set-up, it needed slightly longer to settle onto its loaded side than some rivals, but had decent outright lateral grip levels even on slippery, chilly Tarmac thanks to the Pirelli…
Autocar magazine 29 November: on sale now
This week in Autocar, we’ve got the lowdown on the replacement for Ferrari’S 812, drive the new Rolls-Royce Spectre on the trail of Henry Royce, ask what the future of petrol stations might look like, and much more. News Ferrari…
Polestar 3 prototype review | Autocar
Polestar’s naming scheme is very literal: the Polestar 3 is the third model since the brand was spun off from Volvo as a stand-alone car maker. Of course, that doesn’t tell you much about its positioning, and it’s getting even…
Autocar magazine 29 November: on sale now
This week in Autocar, we’ve got the lowdown on the replacement for Ferrari’S 812, drive the new Rolls-Royce Spectre on the trail of Henry Royce, ask what the future of petrol stations might look like, and much more. News Ferrari…
Lotus unveils 500kW electric car charger
Lotus has unveiled an electric car charger that it claims supports charging at rates of up to 500kW. The station has been displayed on the Shanghai motor show floor connecting to a Lotus Eletre electric SUV using a robotic arm, which emerges from an…
Audi A5 (2007-2016) Review | Autocar
The A5 is an Audi, which means a top-notch interior is expected, and in this case, it’s delivered. For Audi regulars, the cabin design is instantly familiar, yet also sufficiently unique. The design detail is more indulgent in feel than many other…
Peugeot e-3008 Review (2023) | Autocar
From launch, e-3008 buyers will get a front-mounted single motor with 207bhp along with that 73kWh battery for a 326-mile range (from £45,850). Around 10 months later, the e-3008 range will grow to include a Long Range single-motor version with…
Volkswagen ID Buzz 2023 long-term test
In this line of work, it doesn’t really do to confess to brand favouritism, but there’s no denying VW is a marque I’ve always held in high regard. That deep-seated affinity, though – for me and no doubt thousands of…
Why the record-breaking Bloodhound project has a future
The people behind Bloodhound, the jet-and-rocket-combining land-speed-record-attempting car, have been looking for more money for quite some time. Now they’ve combined that search with one for a new driver, in what strikes me as the most sensible change of trajectory…
How Tata’s £4 billion UK battery factory will reshape Somerset
Positions being offered include manufacturing and mechanical design engineers. “EA is going to grow rapidly in the coming months,” says Ellie. “It needs a lot of skilled people but, like other engineering companies in the region, faces competition from Hinkley….
Tesla Model 3 Review (2023)
As an example of how the principles of minimalism can be applied to the field of automotive interior design, you needn’t look much further than the Model 3. So extreme are the lengths to which Tesla’s designers have gone to…
Nissan to build new Qashqai and Juke EVs in Sunderland
The Hyper Urban, described by Nissan as having a “sleek and modern aesthetic”, serves as a preview of the next Qashqai. The two concepts show that Nissan will build on the edgy styling of both the current Juke and Qashqai. As…
Dacia UK closes online store in Black Friday snub
Dacia has temporarily closed its online sales platform – including the car configurator – as it pushes back against “marketing gimmick” Black Friday. The move is intended to highlight the value for money offered by the Romanian brand all year around,…
Component shortage fuels rise in car part thefts
As the shortage of replacement car parts continues, there are fears that it is fuelling car crime – and that dealers, garages and body shops could unwittingly buy stolen used parts online. JLR recently admitted that around 10,000 of its…