It takes no time at all to travel from Iceland’s main airport to the initial site of interest for this feature. “New car to drive. A Kia. They’ve got one available in Iceland: land of fire and ice, they say. Go and pick it up and see how close you can drive to a volcano,”… Continue reading Exclusive: New 2024 Kia Sorento driven – to an active volcano
Author: Autocar Magazine UK
The scrap man keeping the UK’s aging Volvos alive
There are scrapyards – and there’s Lakes Autos. You can see it from the Al at Wyboston, a village in Bedfordshire, somewhere between Luton and Peterborough. The road is hardly scenic, but Lakes’ jumble of discarded motors is like a kind of ancient forest, albeit of rusting metal rather than trees. You don’t see its… Continue reading The scrap man keeping the UK’s aging Volvos alive
Why the Tesla Model Y isn’t really an SUV, but a trendy MPV
Is the Tesla Model Y an SUV? If you were, say, an activist against urban-dwelling 4x4s, would you be inclined to put a narky sticker on the windscreen of one or pop a lentil into one of its tyre valves so that it would get a flat? I ask because the popularity of SUVs has… Continue reading Why the Tesla Model Y isn’t really an SUV, but a trendy MPV
Bugatti plots front-engined Type 57 successor as next V16 car
With the Bugatti Tourbillon now entering advanced on-road testing, the company is looking at other models that could use its V16 hybrid drivetrain – and a revival of the stunning Type 57 SC Atlantic is one likely option. Asked if the engine can be moved around in the monocoque to allow for different silhouettes, Bugatti… Continue reading Bugatti plots front-engined Type 57 successor as next V16 car
Ferrari gears up for first EV with opening of new E-building
Ferrari has made a significant step towards the launch of its first EV next year with the opening of the new E-building production facility at its factory in Maranello. The new 42,500sqm facility, which was opened in a ceremony attended by Italian president Sergio Mattarella, is designed to maximise “production flexibility” for the Italian supercar firm. It will… Continue reading Ferrari gears up for first EV with opening of new E-building
Wrightbus launches electrification drive for diesel buses
Retrofitting diesel buses with electric powertrains is the next big business in automotive, Wrightbus CEO and ex-Lotus boss Jean-Marc Gales has told Autocar. He estimates that 34,000 diesel buses will need to be converted or replaced by 2035, creating “a huge business opportunity”. Northern Irish firm Wrightbus – owned by Jo Bamford, son of JCB boss Anthony –… Continue reading Wrightbus launches electrification drive for diesel buses
First pictures of facelifted Audi RS3 as it claims Nürburgring record
Audi has released the first images of the upcoming RS3 facelift, which is promised to bring an uprated chassis and better handling. The upgraded car gets brake torque vectoring, which is said to improve agility and reduce steering effort at the turn-in point of a bend. The software underpinning the torque vectoring and stability control systems,… Continue reading First pictures of facelifted Audi RS3 as it claims Nürburgring record
Bugatti Tourbillon revealed as £3.2m, 276mph, V16 hyper-hybrid
“We wanted to have it very emotional. It has to feel special, because ‘if it is comparable, it is no longer Bugatti’,” he added, referencing the slogan of company founder Ettore Bugatti. Powertrain The Tourbillon takes an appropriately outlandish approach to electrification, dropping the behemoth W16 motor which powered the Chiron and Veyron for a… Continue reading Bugatti Tourbillon revealed as £3.2m, 276mph, V16 hyper-hybrid
Why BYD is sponsoring Euro 2024
If you’ve watched any of Euro 2024, it will have been impossible to miss the presence of BYD. The Chinese manufacturer has taken a prominent sponsorship of this major football tournament, its adverts and branding covering the 10 stadiums being used in Germany. The cumulative audience of the Euros is in excess of five billion,… Continue reading Why BYD is sponsoring Euro 2024
Italian firm DR fined €6 million for misrepresenting Chinese cars
Italian car brands DR and Evo have been fined €6 million (£5.1m) for marketing Chinese cars as being made in Italy. The European nation’s competitions and markets authority, the AGCM, said in a statement that the brands’ parent company, DR Automobiles, had wrongly marketed Italy as the origin of its cars. The AGCM said the cars are actually produced… Continue reading Italian firm DR fined €6 million for misrepresenting Chinese cars