Christmas Day 2023 is one that Dan Baines will never forget. “Ever since seeing one at Silverstone years ago, I’d always wanted a Mégane R26.R,” he says. “Last December, I found a 2009-reg with 44,000 miles for sale. It was being offered by a friend in the trade. I trusted him. I never saw the… Continue reading Christmas presents don’t get much better than a Megane R26.R
Author: Autocar Magazine UK
Mario Andretti on his favourite cars, circuits, races and rivals
America’s greatest racing driver? It’s subjective and depends entirely on your perspective. But what we can state for certain is, in terms of worldwide fame, stature, personality, longevity of career and relentless achievement, they don’t come much bigger than Mario Andretti. Just that name alone… he’s a sporting colossus. Andretti won in pretty much everything… Continue reading Mario Andretti on his favourite cars, circuits, races and rivals
I didn’t think the MX-5 could get better – then they put a Jag V6 in it
My favourite driver’s cars tend to be small, light and rear-driven, with a charismatic engine and a manual gearbox. With its blueprinted quad-cam V6 and lightly breathed on suspension, Rocketeer’s Mk1 MX-5 was well up my street on paper, but I did have a slight sense of trepidation before driving it. It’s fundamentally a 30-year-old… Continue reading I didn’t think the MX-5 could get better – then they put a Jag V6 in it
Gucci car, anyone? Autocar’s ‘alternative’ predictions for 2026
The start of the year is traditionally a time to make predictions about what will happen in the coming months. But making predictions is hard, especially in an industry as unpredictable as the automotive sector. Still, we’re experts on the car world, so of course we can predict with unerring accuracy every key event that… Continue reading Gucci car, anyone? Autocar’s ‘alternative’ predictions for 2026
I will be karting for as long as my bones will permit it
Five seconds after climbing into a kart, I am entirely comfortable. My gloved hands find the steering wheel rim, my feet rest easily against the pedals and I am contented. Five seconds after actually driving off, things are different: the vibration makes me feel sick and my glasses shake so much that my vision is blurred. It’s… Continue reading I will be karting for as long as my bones will permit it
I saved £25k by buying a German Lotus instead of a British one
As a twenty-something back in 1990, Simon Bailey dreamed of owning a Lotus Carlton, Vauxhall’s 176mph supersaloon that raised questions in the Commons and rattled the likes of BMW and Mercedes. A quarter of a century later, he has realised his ambition, although the car on his driveway is not a Vauxhall but its Opel… Continue reading I saved £25k by buying a German Lotus instead of a British one
Listen: We meet the Duke of Richmond
This week’s My Week In Cars is a very special Christmas episode, as Steve Cropley and Matt Prior travel to Goodwood House to meet the Duke of Richmond. Which is his favourite event? What elusive cars are still on his must-get list? What’s in his garage and is there space for another Goodwood event? Join… Continue reading Listen: We meet the Duke of Richmond
Highlights of 2025: Autocar’s top motoring moments of the year
From watching celebrities perform at high-octane car launches, to chasing the serene quiet of a mountain pass in a Bentley Bentayga Speed, and attending the most modest of car events, the past year has delivered a multitude of unforgettable moments for Autocar’s team of writers. 2025 has been another tumultuous year for the automotive industry,… Continue reading Highlights of 2025: Autocar’s top motoring moments of the year
Modern cars are pushing me past breaking point
Petty Gripes, The Guardian calls its series of light-hearted features on elements of modern life that involve minorly annoying things. Things like bands that name themselves after other bands or being irritated by somebody else’s coffee snobbery. You know, little quirks. In one recent article, a software update in a writer’s phone meant that his… Continue reading Modern cars are pushing me past breaking point
“It’s an 819bhp GR86…” Ferrari 12C rewrites the super-GT rulebook
The annual request from the editors: give us your ‘favourite’ car of the past 12 months. I dislike this task because choosing a favourite is too black-and-white an approach when the list includes everything from the madness of an S1 Elise with 300bhp to a purple Rolls Wraith, skulking through Clerkenwell at midnight, utterly in its film-noir element. A comparison framework just doesn’t exist. … Continue reading “It’s an 819bhp GR86…” Ferrari 12C rewrites the super-GT rulebook