Production of the Wells Vertige, the new £50,000 British sports coupé revealed in summer 2021, will shortly begin at a new factory in Bishop’s Itchington, Warwickshire, with the first cars expected to be delivered by the middle of this year. Having already sold the first year’s production run of 25 Founder’s Edition cars, founder and… Continue reading British-built Wells Vertige to arrive mid-2023 with 208bhp
Author: Autocar Magazine UK
Aston Martin DB11 to be reinvented in wide-reaching update
Aston Martin is priming the DB11 grand tourer for an extensive mechanical and technological overhaul, which will help it to compete more effectively with the newer Mercedes-AMG SL and Ferrari Roma. New images captured by Autocar’s spy photographers show a heavily camouflaged DB11 undergoing road testing – giving itself away as the updated car with… Continue reading Aston Martin DB11 to be reinvented in wide-reaching update
Audi RS3 off sale in UK as demand outstrips supply
The Audi RS3 has been taken off sale in the UK due to high demand, with demand outstripping supply. The RS3 has been on sale in its current, fourth-generation guise since late 2021. Audi has confirmed to Autocar that it is focused on fulfilling its existing bank of orders. Audi also said the model will return to the… Continue reading Audi RS3 off sale in UK as demand outstrips supply
625bhp Alpina B5 GT revealed as firm’s most powerful model yet
Alpina has revealed its latest ultra-limited model, which will go on sale as the most powerful yet produced by the Buchloe-based firm. The new BMW Alpina B5 GT, which is on sale now from €145,500 and available in both saloon and Touring estate bodystyles, is powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 petrol engine producing 625bhp and 626lb… Continue reading 625bhp Alpina B5 GT revealed as firm’s most powerful model yet
Cazoo swaps CEO and cuts UK jobs in cost-cutting drive
Cazoo CEO Alex Chesterman has stepped down from his role amid a restructuring aimed at keeping the struggling online used car sales company afloat. The new CEO is Paul Whitehead, previously COO, while Chesterman remains chairman of the company he founded in 2018. Cazoo has struggled to attract new investment that it needed to maintain its… Continue reading Cazoo swaps CEO and cuts UK jobs in cost-cutting drive
New 2023 Ford electric crossover tests ahead of March reveal
Just two months before a scheduled official unveiling, Ford’s long-awaited Volkswagen Group MEB-based electric SUV has been caught testing on public roads. The as-yet-unnamed Hyundai Ioniq 5 rival was officially previewed last month, but only in a darkened silhouette image that gave little away beyond its basic proportions and distinctive LED headlight signature. Now these new… Continue reading New 2023 Ford electric crossover tests ahead of March reveal
‘Our Mt Fuji’: Toyota has a mountain to climb on software
If you were to pick a company whose approach to automotive engineering ran directly counter to the software world’s ‘move fast and break things’ philosophy, then it would have to be Toyota. After all, this is a company whose strategic plans are measured in decades, not months. But Toyota also can’t ignore the march toward the… Continue reading ‘Our Mt Fuji’: Toyota has a mountain to climb on software
Editor’s letter: was Britishvolt’s collapse inevitable?
Britishvolt’s demise is a sad story, but the events of 17 January 2023 felt like an inevitable conclusion to a long-running saga. Fundamentally, it had no customers. What good is a gigafactory building batteries if there are no cars being built on the same island to put them in? That absence of customers is a reflection… Continue reading Editor’s letter: was Britishvolt’s collapse inevitable?
Greatest road tests ever: Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagon
The 156 saloon was Alfa Romeo‘s best car in years. Three years later, we were treated to the handsome and tidy-handling 156 estate. To adapt the saloon’s chassis for estate car use, the floorpan, roof, pillars and damper attachments were strengthened, while revised rear doors and a re-profiled bumper helped to create a beautifully cohesive… Continue reading Greatest road tests ever: Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagon
Under the skin: How heated seatbelts can increase EV range
Even in the fuel crises of the 1960s and 1970s, which were far worse than anything we’re experiencing today, little effort was made to explore ways of making cars more energy-efficient. It has taken this long, global warming and the world waking up to the need for sustainability to get companies to look into ways… Continue reading Under the skin: How heated seatbelts can increase EV range