No, The Fast and the Furious films are objectively not very good. But I doubt that even the greats can claim to have had anywhere near as much of an impact on their subject matter. The Shawshank Redemption didn’t result in wide-reaching prison reform and it has been largely forgotten that Star Wars was intended… Continue reading Fast and Furious films have done more for car culture than you think
Author: Autocar Magazine UK
Citroen C3 Pluriel: are you overlooking this £1000 quirky cabrio?
Coupé, Targa, cabriolet, pick-up – the Citroën C3 Pluriel was all of these things, and sometimes more. It was also close to being a concept car that you could actually buy, the ingenious flexibility of its bodywork just the kind of thing to be demonstrated by a group of fixed-grin models dancing to overloud music… Continue reading Citroen C3 Pluriel: are you overlooking this £1000 quirky cabrio?
Could a cost-slashing small-car category actually work in Europe?
Back in 2014, Suzuki offered Europeans a choice of three low-cost city cars of the type that made its reputation: the Splash, Celerio and Alto. Ten years later the brand is still a leader in the field in both India and Japan, with a wide choice of basic mobility on offer. But in the UK… Continue reading Could a cost-slashing small-car category actually work in Europe?
Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II Black Badge
The Ghost continues to tread a careful line between largeness and what many might consider excessive vastness. The car doesn’t stand as tall at the kerb as the more imposing Phantom so, although long, doesn’t have the kind of bulk that gives you pause for thought as you approach and then tug on the outsized… Continue reading Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II Black Badge
WATCH: New Honda 0 Series – and why it scares Tesla
[embedded content] The Honda 0 Series SUV concept is here – and it looks set to change its maker forever. Everything from its platform and body to the way it’s manufactured is brand new, and its on-board technology is totally unlike anything we’ve seen before – even from a company that has been making humanoid… Continue reading WATCH: New Honda 0 Series – and why it scares Tesla
BYD Denza B5: plug-in hybrid Defender rival lands in UK next year
BYD is going after the Land Rover Defender in the UK with the new B5 – a premium plug-in hybrid 4×4 with competitive off-road stats and supercar levels of power. Launched in China last year as the Bao 5, the Defender 110 rival is one of three models from BYD’s new SUV sub-brand Fangchengbao but it is… Continue reading BYD Denza B5: plug-in hybrid Defender rival lands in UK next year
Alpine A290 Rallye brings limited-slip diff and exterior speaker
Alpine has lifted the covers off a rally-ready version of its Renault 5-based A290 electric hot hatch. Priced from €59,990 (£52,000 excluding VAT), the A290 Rallye has been extensively modified for competition use, with a stripped-out interior, a rollcage and bucket seats among the changes. It also gains a limited-slip differential to better distribute its 217bhp… Continue reading Alpine A290 Rallye brings limited-slip diff and exterior speaker
Ariel Atom celebrates 25th birthday with wild 525bhp special edition
Ariel has marked the 25th anniversary of its Atom spaceframe sports car with the new 4RR – the most powerful version yet. With its uprated Honda four-pot sending a huge 525bhp and 406lb ft to the rear axle, the new special edition is far more powerful than even the outrageous, 475bhp Atom V8 from 2011.… Continue reading Ariel Atom celebrates 25th birthday with wild 525bhp special edition
New 2028 Polestar 7 to be built on Volvo platform in Slovakia
The company has now confirmed that “adaptations will be made” to the modular platform to ensure it offers “the driving experience and performance characteristics that Polestar is known for”. Confirming the decision to use a Volvo platform and factory for his brand’s new entry model, Lohscheller today said: “Working with Volvo Cars to develop and… Continue reading New 2028 Polestar 7 to be built on Volvo platform in Slovakia
Winner’s circle: How Protean’s in-wheel motors will reshape EVs
Surrey-based EV motor developer Protean has its roots in a firm called PML Flightlink, which made headlines in 2006 when it fitted four in-wheel motors (IWMs) to a Mini Cooper to give 640bhp, a sub-5.0sec 0-62mph time and a £200k price. The outfit was later acquired by NEVS, the Chinese-owned successor to Saab, before EV… Continue reading Winner’s circle: How Protean’s in-wheel motors will reshape EVs