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
Author: Autocar Magazine UK
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
Western brands plot fightback against Chinese at Shanghai show
Global companies are plotting a fightback in China against the rise of Chinese brands, with next week’s Shanghai motor show offering them the perfect stage to show off their recovery. New models from the likes of Audi, Lexus, Mazda, Mercedes, Nissan and Volkswagen will take to the stands in a bid to convince showgoers that they’re still relevant in this electrified, tech-led age. Volkswagen… Continue reading Western brands plot fightback against Chinese at Shanghai show
Volvo S90 gets new look and interior update
The Volvo S90 has been updated with a fresh face, upgraded interior technology and extra electric range for the plug-in hybrid version. Visual changes include a new front grille, which matches those on the revised XC90 and XC60 SUVs, as well as sharper-looking lighting signatures front and rear, bringing it into line with the new… Continue reading Volvo S90 gets new look and interior update
Are electric cars really quieter on the road?
I’ve done plenty of very high speeds on Horiba MIRA’s ‘twin horizontal’ straights, but rarely quite like this. The Bentley Continental GT Speed Hybrid that I recently road tested took me to the far side of 170mph several times, back and forth in opposite directions, all within the bounds of a measured mile, while simultaneously… Continue reading Are electric cars really quieter on the road?
BMW M5 Touring
The M5 Touring’s belt-and-braces hardware features a beefy 4.4-litre engine that makes 577bhp at 5600-6500rpm on its own, and pairs it with a 195bhp gearbox-mounted motor, with the two of them combining to have up to 718bhp driving all four wheels (or two, if you select the right mode). To give it a respectable motor-only range of… Continue reading BMW M5 Touring
I bought a Saab convertible for £2300 – and I’ll never sell it
However, while the backrest element is still available, the base one is not. This, I suspect, is down to demand because the seat-base one is more likely to get damaged. The only option was to take a punt on a replacement for another model of Saab and hope that it fitted. I winged it on… Continue reading I bought a Saab convertible for £2300 – and I’ll never sell it
Learners waiting half a year for driving tests amid examiner shortage
A generation of learner drivers is under threat from spiralling costs, stress and even career damage as the waiting list for a practical driving test balloons to unprecedented size. Learners now face a wait of more than half a year at 57% of Britain’s test centres, according to new data released by the Driver and… Continue reading Learners waiting half a year for driving tests amid examiner shortage
Subaru hints at STI revival in performance car push
Subaru is planning to offer performance models in its future full electric line-up – which could include new sports cars in the vein of the Impreza STI and BRZ. The brand gained a huge cult following for its rally-honed performance machines in the early 1990s, and also enjoyed success with the BRZ sports car that… Continue reading Subaru hints at STI revival in performance car push
Jaecoo 7
Among the strengths of the Jaecoo 7’s petrol-electric powertrain, we can certainly credit good mechanical isolation, fairly strong and seamless accelerator response, and good urban efficiency (to which we’ll come shortly). It behaves more like a series-hybrid arrangement at low speeds than a parallel one. The car negotiates town roads as though it were entirely… Continue reading Jaecoo 7