Scott bought the car from a bloke in California. At the time, he was looking for an engine cover for his 1990 Testarossa coupe, a left-hand-drive car he’d bought from the Netherlands. (Seven of his Ferraris are left-hookers.) There he was, surfing the web, when up pops this four-year-old ad for an unfinished Testarossa spider… Continue reading Meet the man who buys the Ferraris you really shouldn’t
Author: Autocar Magazine UK
Seven to heaven: Chasing F-16s in £80k Caterham CSR Twenty
The steering wheel is a non-adjustable leather Momo thing, the gearshift throw is perhaps the shortest in production, and the simple dials and toggle switches are pifflingly easy to acquaint yourself with. There’s a heater and a 12V socket, and even though the suspension design takes up more room than older systems, there’s still a boot, mohair-lined.… Continue reading Seven to heaven: Chasing F-16s in £80k Caterham CSR Twenty
Is Elon Musk really putting EV buyers off Tesla?
After a turn around the block and back at the showroom, my first conversation was with a chap considering a Model 3. His company car, a Volkswagen Passat GTE estate, is about to be returned, and he thought he’d go electric to save tax. “I’ve driven a BYD Seal but it felt too Chinese and… Continue reading Is Elon Musk really putting EV buyers off Tesla?
Magic moments from Autocar road testers past and present
The Autocar was the very first motoring magazine to use a standardised series of tests to deliver a verdict, and nearly 100 years on, we’re still doing it. Things have changed since those early days, of course. Sadly our early road testers are unfortunately no longer with us, but some of the magazine’s more recent… Continue reading Magic moments from Autocar road testers past and present
Lancia: the brand that refused to die
What really sets everyday cars apart, prices aside, is design. The reason one person falls in love with the Jeep Avenger may well be why another orders an Alfa Romeo Junior instead, despite their identical specs. Lancia has always been a design brand and, in this coming era of increasing mechanical and technical similarity, going… Continue reading Lancia: the brand that refused to die
Super-budget superminis of the Eastern Bloc face off
“The Skoda, with the least powerful, 62bhp all-alloy engine, will hit 92mph, pulls lustily past 60mph in 14.3sec and keeps the driver waiting for 15.7sec during the 30-70mph increment. It makes up for its less spritely performance by having by far the most responsive, eager engine. “The Lada is a stable and unfussed motorway cruiser — probably this… Continue reading Super-budget superminis of the Eastern Bloc face off
Autonomous cars will transform life for society’s most vulnerable
Nissan has now finished testing autonomous cars on UK roads, as its EvolvAD project has come to a close – the last part of an eight-year scheme. This bit was to see whether a self-driving Nissan Leaf could operate outside of cities and in less connected areas, on residential and single-track country roads, to discover what types of… Continue reading Autonomous cars will transform life for society’s most vulnerable
Geely-Renault firm Horse reveals hybrid conversion for electric cars
Horse, the engine-making joint venture of Geely and the Renault Group, has revealed a hybrid powertrain designed to be retrofitted into electric cars. It contains the internal combustion engine, electric motor, gearbox and related electronics in a single unit that, Horse said, can be squeezed into the same space as an EV’s main drive motor. This means manufacturers… Continue reading Geely-Renault firm Horse reveals hybrid conversion for electric cars
Porsche 911 GT3 is the fastest manual car at the Nurburgring
The Porsche 911 GT3 is now the fastest manual car to lap the Nürburgring, beating the previous record-holder by nearly 10 seconds. Porsche has sent the recently updated ‘992.2’ around the Nordschleife – with ambassador and ex-racer Jörg Bergmeister at the wheel – in 6min 56.294sec. That’s not only 3.6sec quicker than the pre-facelift 992 with… Continue reading Porsche 911 GT3 is the fastest manual car at the Nurburgring
Audi Q7
Little else showcases the Q7’s quality and refinement more than its lavishly appointed cabin. Rivals like the Range Rover Sport and BMW X5 have long been at the forefront when it comes to modern luxury interiors but the Audi is more than up to the challenge. Its preference for brushed metal (or the appearance of… Continue reading Audi Q7