The McLaren GT has been renamed the GTS amid a facelift that brings greater performance and several quality-of-life changes. Chief among the tweaks is the refinement of the optional nose lift system, which raises the front end of the car by 20mm to provide a saloon-like ground clearance of 130mm. The GTS takes 4.0sec to… Continue reading New McLaren GTS brings uprated V8 and sheds weight
Author: Autocar Magazine UK
Carbon-bodied Kamm 912c is 699kg Porsche 911
Tuning specialist and restomod manufacturer KAMM has upgraded its ultra-exclusive 912c sports car with a more powerful, super-lightweight, carbonfibre-bodied edition. The car, which is based on the 1965 Porsche 912, is made completely out of carbon fibre, and is tipped to weigh in at 699kg when fully homologated for the road. This represents a 300kg cut… Continue reading Carbon-bodied Kamm 912c is 699kg Porsche 911
Suppliers cut thousands of jobs in face of unprecedented disruption
The European automotive supplier industry, for so long an engine of global innovation, is having to shed jobs and reshape its business to cope with disruption from electrification and the desire for car makers to make more parts in-house. The most recent job cuts come from Germany’s Bosch and Continental, globally two of the biggest… Continue reading Suppliers cut thousands of jobs in face of unprecedented disruption
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 small galleys to the even smaller washrooms. But while the galleys turn out superb meals… Continue reading Christmas throwback: Autocar’s Concorde ‘road test’
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 “designed and developed for Europe”, Lihong Qin, president and co-founder of Nio, told journalists on… Continue reading Nio targets Volkswagen ID 2 and Renault 5 with Firefly EV brand
Why cars aren’t just “for the elite”
Lights are twinkling in windows, Jona Lewie is on the radio and my notebook still has a load of column ideas in it that I haven’t yet managed to write about this year. Some of those I’d like to get ticked off before 2024. Such as: “What’s the point of a car with a long… Continue reading Why cars aren’t just “for the elite”
What is the most comfortable car on sale?
That’s to exclude the top-level comfort of a car’s seat and its driving position, though – which, when you really concentrate on it, can have a defining influence on ride comfort all by itself. It also skates blithely over topics like surface-noise filtering, ride suppleness, body rigidity, damper response, close body control head toss and… Continue reading What is the most comfortable car on sale?
VW software developer Cariad cuts costs to avoid lay-offs
Volkswagen Group’s embattled Cariad software unit has agreed to cut development costs in order to avoid mass lay-offs, according to reports. Cariad boss and former Bentley production head Peter Bosch had wanted to cut up to 20% of the unit’s 6500-strong workforce, according to an October report from Germany’s Manager Magazine. However, the new agreement… Continue reading VW software developer Cariad cuts costs to avoid lay-offs
Porsche Macan to stay in UK as EU sales end
Porsche will remove the combustion-powered Macan from sale in the EU in spring 2024, as it won’t meet new cybersecurity rules, but it will remain available in the UK. The popular SUV, on sale since 2014, was developed before the specifics of the regulation had been finalised. It will be taken off sale in the… Continue reading Porsche Macan to stay in UK as EU sales end
Editor’s letter: EV makers build case for smaller batteries
Early electric cars were defined by range. While range remains an important part of an EV’s spec panel, a broader understanding of battery sizes and efficiency, as well as the reliability of the charging network and the speed at which an EV can be recharged have become just as prominent and important as that ultimate… Continue reading Editor’s letter: EV makers build case for smaller batteries