News that the upcoming Honda Prelude will have fake gearshifts has caused some consternation among enthusiasts in the various bits of the internet where we’re currently scattered. Quite a lot of sceptics, not much wild enthusiasm. In their earlier incarnations, Preludes were among the best affordable driver’s coupés on the market, with high-revving VTEC engines mated… Continue reading Will fake gearshifts in hybrids and EVs win over enthusiasts?
Author: Autocar Magazine UK
Will fake gearshifts in hybrids and EVs win over enthusiasts?
News that the upcoming Honda Prelude will have fake gearshifts has caused some consternation among enthusiasts in the various bits of the internet where we’re currently scattered. Quite a lot of sceptics, not much wild enthusiasm. In their earlier incarnations, Preludes were among the best affordable driver’s coupés on the market, with high-revving VTEC engines mated… Continue reading Will fake gearshifts in hybrids and EVs win over enthusiasts?
79 years of innovation: Highlights from the Honda heritage hall
Walk in to the large, light-filled lobby of the Honda Heritage Hall and the six exhibits set out in front of you outline what makes the Japanese firm different from so many of its rivals. There’s a 1958 Super Cub bike, an immaculate S600 sports car, Honda’s first Formula 1 racer, its first motorbike grand prix… Continue reading 79 years of innovation: Highlights from the Honda heritage hall
Alpina has revealed its final standalone car – now what?
In a Maybach-fighting scenario, only the vast 7 Series and X7 would be suitable conduits. They would have all the walnut trim an oligarch could wish for, but the detail engineering – which in the past has extended to Alpina recasting BMW engine blocks so that they might take an extra turbo – wouldn’t be… Continue reading Alpina has revealed its final standalone car – now what?
First pictures of new 2025 Volkswagen T-Roc leaked
The first photos of the next-generation Volkswagen T-Roc have been leaked online ahead of its official reveal, which is expected to take place later this year. The pictures, which appear to have been taken from a prototype’s infotainment or instrument screens, reveal it to be a more aggressive-looking proposition than the current T-Roc. It gets… Continue reading First pictures of new 2025 Volkswagen T-Roc leaked
Audi A5
Audi calls the new hybrid system MHEV Plus, even though it’s not actually a mild-hybrid system. As well as the usual integrated starter-generator (ISG) that handles the start/stop, there’s an electric motor acting on the output side of the gearbox that can regenerate up to 25kW of energy and contribute 25bhp, either to augment the… Continue reading Audi A5
Come April, will all pick-up drivers move into vans?
The automotive industry’s repeated cries for ‘more carrot’ from the UK government to drive the stalling adoption of electric vehicles have so far fallen on deaf ears. All it has had – since the old plug-in car grant was abolished back in 2022, really – is stick. Fines threatened for manufacturers that don’t sell enough EVs (currently ‘under… Continue reading Come April, will all pick-up drivers move into vans?
Inside the race to 5.0mpkWh: the secrets to long-range EVs
Tesla and Volvo, for instance, fit heat pumps as standard to some models but they are expensive components. Polestar, for example, charges £900 for a climate pack including a heat pump. But the cost will fall as production ramps up. Vehicle weight and battery regeneration Weight contributes to tyre and brake losses, especially during city… Continue reading Inside the race to 5.0mpkWh: the secrets to long-range EVs
MG aims to beat UK’s biggest brands with 1/6 the workforce
The whole MG Motor UK operation consists of just 68 people. Its head office in London includes a styling studio and a showroom but still has not just empty desks but empty floors, while the engineering team at Longbridge is just a few people tasked with setting up the Chinese company’s cars for British roads… Continue reading MG aims to beat UK’s biggest brands with 1/6 the workforce
MPs find state of England’s local roads is ‘national embarrassment’
The Department for Transport (DfT) is failing in its responsibility to care for local roads such that their condition is now a “national embarrassment”. That’s according to a damning new report published by the House of Commons’ Public Accounts Committee – the group of MPs responsible for overseeing the value for money and services provided… Continue reading MPs find state of England’s local roads is ‘national embarrassment’