Following low-speed testing, it was transferred to the High-Speed Ground Test Center, which was designed by the Department of Transport to test hovertrain concepts. 9. LIMRV – 256mph Calculations showed the LIMRV needed just over 10 miles of track to hit its maximum speed, however, the DoT could only afford to fund a 6.2-mile section… Continue reading The fastest trains in the world
Author: Autocar Magazine UK
Inside the Skoda factory that’s bigger than Monaco
Breaks, then, are rather better if scheduled. There’s a half-hour break during each shift but, while there is a canteen (I couldn’t tell you if it serves whatever the local equivalent of Volkswagen’s currywurst is), the size of the place means that most of the workers wouldn’t be able to walk there and back, let… Continue reading Inside the Skoda factory that’s bigger than Monaco
Cupra Formentor VZ5
Sure enough, the Formentor VZ5’s stacked exhausts make an appealing noise; although, funnily enough, arguably not quite enough of it if you’re expecting a really menacing, effusive combustive persona. The car adopts the 2.5-litre, ‘EA855’ five-cylinder turbo petrol engine also seen in the Audi RS3 Sportback (and rumoured to be fitted soon into a special-edition… Continue reading Cupra Formentor VZ5
Happy 130th, Skoda: how we covered brand’s big moments
1992 After the Velvet Revolution had brought down the communist regime, Volkswagen signed up to rejuvenate Skoda, planning £3 billion of investment in plant, technology and future model programmes. “Our cars are better than people think they are,” exports boss Jan Fechtner told us on a visit to Mladá Boleslav. “It’s vital that the image… Continue reading Happy 130th, Skoda: how we covered brand’s big moments
MG 2 EV is ‘obvious area that’s next to happen’, says UK boss
MG will put a Renault 5 rival on the road by 2027, priced from below £25,000 – and it will be designed in the UK. Called the MG 2, the new EV will sit below the MG 4 EV as the entry-level model to MG’s seven-strong EV line-up, which has been bolstered recently by the S5 EV and S6… Continue reading MG 2 EV is ‘obvious area that’s next to happen’, says UK boss
Nio confirms Firefly hatchback for 2026 UK launch
Nio is planning a UK launch of its electric Firefly hatchback – a rival to the Mini Cooper – for next year, the Chinese firm has told Autocar. It has shown a right-hand-drive version of the 4003mm-long hatchback at the Guangzhou motor show, after it announced earlier in this month that it had started building cars in the configuration. Singapore… Continue reading Nio confirms Firefly hatchback for 2026 UK launch
New Fiat 500 gets 64bhp hybrid powertrain, manual box and new look
The new Fiat 500 will arrive in the UK next summer with a 64bhp hybrid powertrain. Sold alongside the visually identical 500e EV, the new 500 Hybrid will be offered in both hatch and convertible forms, like its predecessor. At the heart of the Hybrid is a 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine and 12V battery – a… Continue reading New Fiat 500 gets 64bhp hybrid powertrain, manual box and new look
Goodbye brake fluid? Why the future is brake-by-wire
Despite the almost bewildering progress of technical innovation, there are many fundamentals that have been around for a very long time. Hydraulic brakes were introduced in the US at the end of World War One. Since then, they have evolved beyond measure, with better design and materials and features such as power assistance and ABS.… Continue reading Goodbye brake fluid? Why the future is brake-by-wire
Genesis G90 Wingback previews wild M5 Touring rival
The new Genesis G90 Wingback previews an estate version of the Korean luxury brand’s flagship saloon in high-performance Magma form that’s set to serve as a future BMW M5 Touring rival. A surprise unveiling during the launch event for the marque’s new hot Magma sub-brand, the large executive estate is intended to show how Genesis… Continue reading Genesis G90 Wingback previews wild M5 Touring rival
Car makers still dream of move to agency sales model
Car makers haven’t given up on the dream of selling cars direct to customers, even as the number actually doing so has dwindled to just four. Currently Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and Mini are the only car makers of any scale in the UK using the so-called agency model of selling directly to customers via their network of dealers,… Continue reading Car makers still dream of move to agency sales model