A visit to the Guangzhou motor show recently threw up an important question: does China’s accelerated development point to the future of automotive globally or merely its own? China is leading on battery tech but its gung- ho, bitterly fought and highly cash-intensive battle to appeal to local customers in other areas is widening the gulf… Continue reading How Chinese brands’ influence over Europe could shrink
Author: Autocar Magazine UK
Company car tax ‘easement’ creates loophole for luxury PHEVs
The Treasury’s “easement” protecting plug-in hybrid drivers from incoming company car tax hikes has opened a loophole for the highest-emitting and most luxurious models, Autocar has learned. New Euro 6e-bis emissions rules came into force across the EU on 1 January, including a new way of calculating CO2 emissions for PHEVs. It assumes their electric driving accounts for… Continue reading Company car tax ‘easement’ creates loophole for luxury PHEVs
A car like the Bugatti Veyron may never happen again
Two decades ago, Autocar drove the Bugatti Veyron for the first time – and it blew us away. “The noise – a peculiar cacophony that sounds a bit like two TVRs on full reheat plus an industrial-strength air hose – is accompanied by mind-bending, heart-stopping acceleration, the like of which has never been felt before in a… Continue reading A car like the Bugatti Veyron may never happen again
Exclusive: Hyundai to resurrect petrol-powered i30 N
Hyundai is preparing to resurrect the petrol-powered i30 N hot hatch, filling the gap left by the recent demise of the Ford Focus ST and Honda Civic Type R, a well-placed source has told Autocar. The original i30 N was launched in 2017 as the first model from Hyundai’s N performance brand. A close rival… Continue reading Exclusive: Hyundai to resurrect petrol-powered i30 N
New seven-seat Mercedes GLB brings ICE and 392-mile EV
Mercedes has revealed the new, second-generation GLB as the chunky, seven-seat SUV sibling to the CLA. Familiar on the surface but all new underneath, the GLB is the second model to use Mercedes’ new MMA architecture for compact cars, which accommodates both pure-electric and hybrid powertrains. The new GLB is also the largest MMA-based model,… Continue reading New seven-seat Mercedes GLB brings ICE and 392-mile EV
Can E-rallying in an Alpine live up to the Monte Carlo dream?
A British Isles crew kept up the best traditions of entente cordiale on the recent FIA e-Rallye Monte-Carlo as they twirled a pretty, French blue Alpine A290 GTS around some of the world’s most famous rally stages. Richard Crozier and co-driver Craig Parry joined forces for the first time to dive into the oldest, most… Continue reading Can E-rallying in an Alpine live up to the Monte Carlo dream?
Younger enthusiasts needed to reverse classic market slowdown
The historic vehicle market is worth more today than it was five years ago but growth is slowing dramatically and more must be done to increase the number of young enthusiasts if it is to survive in the future. That’s the warning from the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC), whose annual National Historic… Continue reading Younger enthusiasts needed to reverse classic market slowdown
My £40k Humvee has a 6.5-litre diesel V8 – and it’s a fine city car
“I grew up playing with figures like Action Man and not video games, so to own a Humvee like the one he drove is a dream come true,” says Samuel Ogunlana. Note, it’s a Humvee, the US military vehicle – full name High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle that first saw action in 1989 in Operation… Continue reading My £40k Humvee has a 6.5-litre diesel V8 – and it’s a fine city car
Beware the green T: This new sticker signals a doubtful driver
I still don’t know howI feel about the T-plate. The brainchild of Scottish hotelier Robert Marshall, this is a sticker bearing a large green ‘T’ (and a smaller ‘Tourist’ postscript) that visitors can apply to the back of their car, just like learners do with a red L-plate and new drivers sometimes do with a… Continue reading Beware the green T: This new sticker signals a doubtful driver
This tiny petrol engine is designed to fit in electric cars
Fifteen months after revealing its plans for ‘off-the-shelf’ range-extender and hybrid powertrains, Horse Powertrain unveiled its Future Hybrid Powertrain solution earlier this year. Available from 2027, the “all-in-one” powertrain is aimed at enabling a vehicle manufacturer to easily convert a BEV platform to a hybrid by replacing a front-mounted BEV drive motor and transmission with… Continue reading This tiny petrol engine is designed to fit in electric cars