Every Japanese car marker except Nissan has a history that starts in a totally different field – Suzuki and Toyota: looms; Honda: motorised bikes; Subaru: aircraft; Daihatsu: steam trains; Mazda: corks; and Mitsubishi and Isuzu: ships. So the odd history of the first car with an all-Japanese automatic gearbox isn’t actually that surprising. Okamura will… Continue reading From the archive: on this day in 1958
Author: Autocar Magazine UK
Autocar magazine 31 May: on sale now
This week in Autocar, we reveal the successor to the Aston Martin DB11, test the Pembleton T24 and find out what the BMW M3 Touring has in common with the Range Rover Sport. News Aston Martin’s new era is kicking off with the new DB12 – a front-engined 671bhp sports car touted as “the world’s… Continue reading Autocar magazine 31 May: on sale now
New Range Rover Sport SV: mild-hybrid super-SUV gets 626bhp
The Range Rover Sport’s performance flagship has arrived as the fastest and most powerful production Range Rover yet, offering supercar performance at 2560kg thanks to a 626bhp 4.4-litre V8. Called the SV – dropping the ‘R’ suffix of the previous car – it is the latest project from JLR’s Special Vehicles team and is “the… Continue reading New Range Rover Sport SV: mild-hybrid super-SUV gets 626bhp
Hyundai IONIQ 6: streamlining the future of electric design
The Hyundai IONIQ 6 is a car that unquestionably changes the game for electric thinking: marking a fresh new dawn for Hyundai, and for electric cars as a whole. In a world ever-more populated by seemingly ever-bigger electric SUVs, the IONIQ 6’s sleek and sculpted four-door saloon design bucks the trend and challenges convention, rethinking… Continue reading Hyundai IONIQ 6: streamlining the future of electric design
Mazda 2 goes on sale from £17,750 with fresh design inside and out
The facelifted Mazda 2 supermini has gone on sale in the UK with a price tag of £17,750, bringing a significant styling overhaul both inside and out, along with new paint colours. The updated Mazda 2 now features wireless Apple CarPlay, climate control and cruise control as standard, and significantly undercuts the £20,360 Peugeot 208 and £22,110 Toyota Yaris. Other changes include a new front… Continue reading Mazda 2 goes on sale from £17,750 with fresh design inside and out
Range Rover Velar to be reinvented as EV by 2025
The Range Rover Velar will be reinvented as a slick, luxurious electric SUV, targeting the upcoming Porsche Macan EV with vastly improved endurance, performance and practicality. It will be the first of several new electric Land Rover models to run down the firm’s revamped production line in Halewood, Merseyside, followed soon after by EV successors… Continue reading Range Rover Velar to be reinvented as EV by 2025
Under the skin: How flywheels can speed up EV fast-charger roll-out
The flywheel as a form of energy storage is making a comeback and could be the thing to save us from long queues at EV rapid chargers on busy routes. Flywheels have been around since the year dot. Their most common use is for smoothing out the power source in a reciprocating engine. They do… Continue reading Under the skin: How flywheels can speed up EV fast-charger roll-out
Pembleton Motor Company T24
Drop into the narrow cockpit and your right arm falls naturally outside the bodywork. You sit behind a simple four-spoke, leather-rimmed steering wheel facing an elegant dash of turned aluminium, inset with a scattering of small dials and an extra-deep cubby. So far, so vintage. The leather-trimmed two-seat bench (behind which is 155 litres of… Continue reading Pembleton Motor Company T24
Toyota hints at hot GR Prius unveiling at Le Mans
Toyota’s Gazoo Racing performance division has hinted that it will reveal a high-performance model based on the Prius at the centenary running of the Le Mans 24 Hour race. Gazoo has said it will unveil a concept “equipped with vehicle technologies that have been developed through numerous challenges in motorsports participation” at the event. A… Continue reading Toyota hints at hot GR Prius unveiling at Le Mans
BMW to launch hands-off driving in UK next year
BMW will offer hands-free driving capability in the UK on a range of models from next year, the company has said. Drivers will be able to remove their hands from the steering wheel in all models of the new 5-series range including the electric i5, as well as in the BMW i7 large electric saloon… Continue reading BMW to launch hands-off driving in UK next year